• The DRC has inaugurated a pilot gold refinery in Kalemie, Tanganyika province.

• The facility can process 500–600 kilograms of gold per month.

• Authorities aim to formalize artisanal gold trade and boost local value capture.

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) officially launched its first pilot gold refinery on March 11 in Kalemie, in Tanganyika province. In a statement issued the same day, the Ministry of Mines said the facility, called DRC Gold Refinery, is the result of a partnership between the state-owned company DRC Gold Trading and Lunga Mining, a firm active in gold exploration and development in the Maniema and Tanganyika provinces, according to records from the Mining Cadastre (CAMI).

According to the ministry, the refinery has a production capacity estimated at between 500 and 600 kilograms of gold per month. The facility is presented as covering the entire value chain, from gold purchasing to refining and the production of gold bars. Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba also said the plant should allow the DRC to export refined gold with a purity of 99.9%. These figures, however, come from the official communication surrounding the project.

The initiative is part of the strategy led by DRC Gold Trading to formalize the artisanal gold trade. Authorities say the objective is to reduce losses linked to fraud and smuggling while increasing the share of value captured within the country. For 2026, DRC Gold Trading aims to export between 15 and 18 tons of artisanal gold, as the government seeks to repatriate more foreign currency and improve the traceability of gold produced by artisanal miners.

However, the launch of the Kalemie refinery is not the country’s first attempt at refining gold domestically. In July 2023, Congo Gold Raffinerie, a company based in Bukavu, had its license revoked by the Ministry of Mines before the project could begin operations. The official decision cited the company’s failure to meet social obligations, including commitments related to its community responsibility plan. At the time, Congo Gold Raffinerie had planned to refine about 100 kilograms of gold per day at its plant in Bukavu.

Ronsard Luabeya, Bankable