Bamidele Famoofo
Africa’s copper industry is poised for growth in 2025, with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Zambia – the continent’s largest producers – leading market expansion.
Both countries are investing in new production mines, mineral exploration campaigns and the modernization of existing facilities to increase output. Against this backdrop, the upcoming African Mining Week in Cape Town will highlight the latest industry trends, showcase lucrative opportunities and connect African copper mining projects with global investors, with a view to supporting this growth.
Africa’s copper production surged in 2024, with leading producers setting ambitious targets to further boost output in 2025 and beyond. In the DRC, copper production increased by 12.6 percent year-on-year, reaching 3.3 million metric tons in 2024, accounting for 11 percent of global output. Growth was fueled by the Phase Three Expansion of Ivanhoe Mines’ Kamoa-Kakula project, which produced a record 437,061 tons in 2024. With $1.67 billion allocated to expand production to 240,000 tons in 2025 and 250,000 tons in 2026, Ivanhoe Mines is solidifying the DRC’s status as a global copper powerhouse. The company has also earmarked an additional $1.67 billion to scale up the Kipushi Mine.
Meanwhile, Eurasian Resources Group secured a $150 million credit facility from the Trade Finance Bank of China to expand its Metalkol facility, and China’s CMOC Group is investing $2.5 billion to double its output to 1 million tons by 2028 through expansions at Tenke Fungurume and Kinsafu Mines.
As Africa’s second-largest copper producer, Zambia is aggressively expanding its market presence, the government is reallocating over 1,000 high-potential mining licenses to investors, aiming to boost copper production to 3 million tons annually by 2031. To streamline approvals, the country also launched a new digital mining license platform in February 2025.
Key investments driving Zambia’s copper expansion include the recapitalization of the Mopani Mine, with over $1 billion in financing from UAE firm International Resources Holding raising ore production to 2.8 million tons in 2024. The Konkola Copper Mine was relaunched in late 2024 with a $1.3 billion investment from Vedanta Resources, further boosting national output.
The $600 million Kitumba Copper Mine was also unveiled in August 2024, adding 50,000 metric tons per year to Zambia’s production capacity. Additional investments in 2025 from companies such as KoBold Metals, Ecora, Patriot Lithium, Statunga Investments and Altona are expected to further strengthen Zambia’s copper industry.
Beyond the DRC and Zambia, mineral exploration activities are intensifying across Africa, unlocking new reserves. In Namibia, Canada’s Koryx completed Phase 2 drilling at its Haib Copper Project in February 2025, confirming high-grade deposits. Meanwhile, Trigon Metals secured funding from the EU in January 2025 to accelerate development at its Kalahari Copper Project.
