DR Congo could be the mining market which will grow the most in the world in 2018, according to BMI Research, a research firm, and a subsidiary of Fitch Group.

“We expect DRC's mining industry value to witness an average growth of 17.7% in 2018, outperforming other comparable mining markets,” said the firm as reported by Mining Review.

According to BMI, this performance will be driven by an increase in commodities’ prices and by the reopening of Glencore's copper-cobalt Katanga mine that is expected to improve national mining output. An expansion of Randgold Resources’ Kibali mine is also expected to support an increase in the country’s gold production.

However, despite this positive outlook, BMI Research outlined some risks which could lower the forecasts. They are namely, the growing political instability as president Kabila ignores all the calls for his resignation, and the adoption of a new mining charter which will increase the existing fees mining companies have to pay.  

Let’s note that DRC is Africa’s the largest copper supplier in Africa and world’s leader in the production of cobalt.   

Louis-Nino Kansoun