DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum: "DRC Ambitious to Transform Its Resources"
According to Prof Jena-Marie Kanda of the University of Lubumbashi, the DRC–Africa Battery Metals Forum has evolved into a vital partnership platform.
Kolwezi, Congo (Kinshasa), September 13, 2025 --(PR.com)-- “Now is the time to come to the DRC with its exceptional endowment; it is open to investments in the mining sector. Everyone is welcome.” So says Dr. Jean-Marie Kanda, Chemistry Professor at the University of Lubumbashi, Director of the Centre Africain excellence pour les Batteries (CAEB) and a member of the Board of Directors of the Congolese Battery Council.
Prof. Kanda is also an advisory board member of the upcoming DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum that is taking place from 29 to 30 September in the capital of Lualaba Province, Kolwezi, which is a prominent DRC mining hub and is also known as the "world cobalt capital."
Hosted under the theme of “Leveraging foreign interest in critical minerals to boost the country’s economy,” the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum drives investment in the foundational infrastructure and downstream industries that will accelerate the nation’s journey towards comprehensive industrialisation, generating significant long-term returns from new, localised value chains.
“DRC wants to maximise its benefits”
According to Prof Kanda, for DRC to ensure that foreign investments result in local economic growth to improve revenues and contribute to the country's development, it is key “for the country to develop value chains, particularly the battery value chain, which involves local processing and value addition of mineral raw materials in the country. For example, we could look at transforming so-called green metals or metals for the energy transition, such as cobalt, lithium, manganese, nickel and copper, by transforming them locally, thus moving from the current stage of semi-finished materials that are exported, except perhaps for the cathodes that are already elaborated, to refining locally, obtaining metal cobalt in the DRC or obtaining cobalt sulphates, which are precursors for the battery industry.”
He continues: “Second, it is important to encourage foreign investors for local transformation and to improve the business climate to guarantee access to energy and infrastructure. And the DRC is working hard on this. You will realise that within this framework, several projects in the field of the energy sector are making progress, and the same goes for infrastructure. So the DRC is ambitious to transform its resources.”
According to Prof Kanda, local transformation is aimed at creating a balance between what is exported raw and what disrupts the market. “On an international level, the DRC wants to maximise its benefits, certainly sharing profits with all partners because the regulatory tools and taxation are well established in the DRC.”
Vital partnership platform
According to Prof Kanda the DRC–Africa Battery Metals Forum has evolved into a vital partnership platform: “the event brings together manufacturers, policymakers, local industry players, researchers and other stakeholders, working for the promotion of the mining sector and the development of a battery value chain.”
Looking ahead five years, he sees the forum contributing to transforming the DRC’s economic journey, moving from a role primarily as a supplier of raw minerals to becoming a global hub for value addition and industrialisation. He is hopeful that the Musompo Special Economic Zone will become operational during that time, “where, for example, the first links of the battery value chain will be developed in the DRC, through partners like E-Rise, Zambia, the DRC’s Ministries of Industry, of Mines and of Finance, as well as the ministries that are co-working on this, whether it is the Ministry of Energy or the Ministry of Planning. This operationalisation will mean that there will also be tangible results that will also translate into visits to a manufacturing site, whether it be for battery precursors or even batteries.”
About DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum is organised by The VUKA Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa), a leading Cape Town-based and multi-award-winning organiser of exhibitions, conferences and digital events across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, mobility, ecommerce and CX sectors. Other well-known events by The Vuka Group include DRC Mining Week, Nigeria Mining Week, Enlit Africa, Africa’s Green Economy Summit, Carbon Markets Africa Summit, Smarter Mobility Africa, ECOM Africa and CEM Africa. Mining Review Africa, the leading monthly magazine and digital platform in the African mining industry, is the event’s premium media partner.
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum dates and venue:
Date: 29-30 September 2025
Venue: Kampi Ya Boma, Kolwezi, DRC
Prof. Kanda is also an advisory board member of the upcoming DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum that is taking place from 29 to 30 September in the capital of Lualaba Province, Kolwezi, which is a prominent DRC mining hub and is also known as the "world cobalt capital."
Hosted under the theme of “Leveraging foreign interest in critical minerals to boost the country’s economy,” the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum drives investment in the foundational infrastructure and downstream industries that will accelerate the nation’s journey towards comprehensive industrialisation, generating significant long-term returns from new, localised value chains.
“DRC wants to maximise its benefits”
According to Prof Kanda, for DRC to ensure that foreign investments result in local economic growth to improve revenues and contribute to the country's development, it is key “for the country to develop value chains, particularly the battery value chain, which involves local processing and value addition of mineral raw materials in the country. For example, we could look at transforming so-called green metals or metals for the energy transition, such as cobalt, lithium, manganese, nickel and copper, by transforming them locally, thus moving from the current stage of semi-finished materials that are exported, except perhaps for the cathodes that are already elaborated, to refining locally, obtaining metal cobalt in the DRC or obtaining cobalt sulphates, which are precursors for the battery industry.”
He continues: “Second, it is important to encourage foreign investors for local transformation and to improve the business climate to guarantee access to energy and infrastructure. And the DRC is working hard on this. You will realise that within this framework, several projects in the field of the energy sector are making progress, and the same goes for infrastructure. So the DRC is ambitious to transform its resources.”
According to Prof Kanda, local transformation is aimed at creating a balance between what is exported raw and what disrupts the market. “On an international level, the DRC wants to maximise its benefits, certainly sharing profits with all partners because the regulatory tools and taxation are well established in the DRC.”
Vital partnership platform
According to Prof Kanda the DRC–Africa Battery Metals Forum has evolved into a vital partnership platform: “the event brings together manufacturers, policymakers, local industry players, researchers and other stakeholders, working for the promotion of the mining sector and the development of a battery value chain.”
Looking ahead five years, he sees the forum contributing to transforming the DRC’s economic journey, moving from a role primarily as a supplier of raw minerals to becoming a global hub for value addition and industrialisation. He is hopeful that the Musompo Special Economic Zone will become operational during that time, “where, for example, the first links of the battery value chain will be developed in the DRC, through partners like E-Rise, Zambia, the DRC’s Ministries of Industry, of Mines and of Finance, as well as the ministries that are co-working on this, whether it is the Ministry of Energy or the Ministry of Planning. This operationalisation will mean that there will also be tangible results that will also translate into visits to a manufacturing site, whether it be for battery precursors or even batteries.”
About DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum is organised by The VUKA Group (formerly Clarion Events Africa), a leading Cape Town-based and multi-award-winning organiser of exhibitions, conferences and digital events across the continent in the infrastructure, energy, mining, mobility, ecommerce and CX sectors. Other well-known events by The Vuka Group include DRC Mining Week, Nigeria Mining Week, Enlit Africa, Africa’s Green Economy Summit, Carbon Markets Africa Summit, Smarter Mobility Africa, ECOM Africa and CEM Africa. Mining Review Africa, the leading monthly magazine and digital platform in the African mining industry, is the event’s premium media partner.
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum dates and venue:
Date: 29-30 September 2025
Venue: Kampi Ya Boma, Kolwezi, DRC
Contact
DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum
Annemarie Roodbol
+27217003500
https://www.drc-africabatterymetals.com/
Annemarie Roodbol
+27217003500
https://www.drc-africabatterymetals.com/
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