DRC Launches Forum to Transform Minerals into Industrial Power
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is preparing to move beyond mineral extraction into refining and manufacturing with the launch of the DRC Critical Minerals and Industrialisation Forum, scheduled for October 7 to 9, 2026 in Kolwezi.
Organisers of the DRC Africa Battery Metals Forum unveiled the new co-located event in a statement distributed by APO Group on behalf of VUKA Group on Monday, February 10, 2026, positioning it as a strategic platform to transform dialogue on industrialisation into tangible action.
The forum will bring together miners, refiners, manufacturers, financiers, engineering procurement and construction contractors, logistics providers, telecommunications operators and policymakers, all focused on building industry where minerals are mined.
From Extraction to Value Chains
Samukelo Madlabane, Event Director of the Mining Portfolio at VUKA Group, stated that the successful 2025 edition of the DRC Africa Battery Metals Forum reaffirmed that industrialisation is the key to transforming the DRC’s mineral wealth into sustainable prosperity.
He noted that engagement from private and public sectors reinforced the forum’s mission to accelerate industrialisation through value addition, beneficiation and local participation in the global supply chain. The statement acknowledged the DRC government’s continued leadership in driving the national industrial vision.
The event concluded with a clear call to turn dialogue into action and partnerships into long term impact, according to Madlabane. He described the new forum as a response to that call, providing momentum to take the vision to the next level and to reality.
The DRC government is on an action oriented drive to industrialise the country off the back of its mineral wealth and this forum is the vehicle to do just that, Madlabane stated in the release.
Private Sector Interest and Industry Support
Last year’s battery metals forum drew support from companies including Kamoa Copper, MMG Kinsevere, Equity BCDC and Liquid Intelligent Technologies, signalling private sector interest in downstream industrialisation, local content and supply chain integration.
The 2025 edition also received backing from Cominière, Enabel DRC, Mining Engineering Services, Elephant Trade, ANAPI, Alfred H Knight, Congo Astral Company, Elada Consulting, Glorhis Multi Services, Morco Services, Temperature, Telluric Holdings and Trust Merchant Bank.
The twin forums aim to connect mining operations with processing, refining and manufacturing capabilities while addressing infrastructure, energy, telecommunications and logistics requirements necessary for industrial development in the DRC’s mineral rich regions.
Strategic Industrialisation Framework
The initiative reflects the DRC’s broader strategy to capture more value from its critical mineral resources, which include cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel, graphite, manganese and rare earth elements essential for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy technologies.
Kolwezi, situated in the Lualaba Province, sits at the centre of the DRC’s copper and cobalt mining belt. The city has emerged as a focal point for international interest in battery metals due to its significant mineral deposits and existing mining infrastructure.
The DRC holds approximately 70 percent of global cobalt reserves and substantial copper deposits. The country’s mineral wealth has attracted international investment while also raising questions about local beneficiation and value retention within the Congolese economy.
Recent infrastructure developments include the Lobito Corridor railway project, which aims to connect mining provinces in the DRC to Angola’s Atlantic coast, and various minerals for infrastructure agreements with international partners.
Regional and Global Context
The forum launch comes as global demand for critical minerals intensifies amid the energy transition and growing electric vehicle production. Major economies including the United States, European Union and China have identified critical mineral supply chains as strategic priorities.
The United States recently hosted the inaugural Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington with delegations from 50 countries including the DRC, focusing on efforts to strengthen and diversify mineral supply chains.
Madlabane stated in the release that the forum looks forward to visionary, insightful, creative and practical hands on discussions by industry pioneers and entrepreneurs in the new co-located forum.
The organisers indicated that representatives from mining, refining, downstream manufacturing, investment, engineering, finance, logistics, energy, telecommunications, infrastructure and government will attend and contribute to discussions on accelerating the DRC’s journey from mineral extraction to fully integrated industrial value chains.
VUKA Group, formerly Clarion Events Africa, is a Cape Town based organiser of exhibitions, conferences and events across the continent in infrastructure, energy, mining, mobility, green economy and retail sectors.