• DRC Gold Trading opened a Lubumbashi branch to channel artisanal gold.
• First official shipment from Haut-Katanga topped 20 kg, worth over $2 million.
• The state firm targets up to 18 tons of annual artisanal gold exports.

DRC Gold Trading S.A., the state-owned company responsible for purchasing, marketing and exporting artisanal gold, announced on Feb. 10, 2026, that it has expanded into Haut-Katanga province with the opening of a branch in Lubumbashi. The move aims to channel locally mined artisanal gold into formal export circuits.

Days after opening the office, the company reported collecting, tracing and officially exporting a first batch of more than 20 kilograms of artisanal gold from Haut-Katanga. Based on the 2025 average gold price, the shipment was worth more than $2 million.

Although Haut-Katanga is historically associated with copper and cobalt production, artisanal gold mining has been reported in areas such as Kilolo, in the Kipushi territory. Most of the output, however, does not appear in official export statistics, as large volumes are believed to leave the country through informal or illicit channels.

A 2024 United Nations report described artisanal gold mining in this part of the country as intense, pointing to significant production occurring outside formal systems. The opening of a buying office is intended to integrate these flows into an official framework of traceability and commercialization.

In the same statement, DRC Gold Trading said it had also opened a second buying office in Haut-Uele province, in the mining town of Durba, following an initial presence established in 2025. In the first half of 2025, the company reported exporting 12,511 kilograms of gold from that branch.

Durba is seen as a high-potential collection area given the scale of documented artisanal activity. According to a report published on Dec. 8, 2025, by the International Peace Information Service (IPIS), researchers identified nearly 5,500 artisanal miners active across 18 gold mining sites visited around Durba.

The company’s expansion into Haut-Katanga and Haut-Uele aligns with its broader goal of operating ten offices nationwide. It aims to reach annual exports of between 15 and 18 tons of artisanal gold and generate more than $2.6 billion in export revenue. Two additional branches are planned for 2026, including in Kinshasa and Mbuji-Mayi.

Rising gold prices provide further momentum. According to the World Gold Council, the average annual gold price rose 44% to $110,280 per kilogram in 2025, supported by strong demand and a geopolitical and financial environment favorable to safe-haven assets. The upward trend is expected to continue in 2026. In January alone, the price per kilogram surpassed $160,000, and Deutsche Bank, UBS and JP Morgan project it could exceed $190,000 by year-end.

Timothée Manoke, Bankable