IMPACT OF NEW MINING TECHNOLOGIES ON LOCAL PROCUREMENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO

The report examines the tension between the adoption of advanced mining technologies by large-scale industrial producers in the DRC and the struggle of local suppliers to capture value from these investments. While projects like the Kibali gold mine and Kamoa-Kakula copper project implement high levels of automation and green technology, the local procurement market remains dominated by foreign firms due to gaps in capital, specialized skills, and infrastructure. The document analyzes the 2018 Mining Code's attempts to mandate local content and identifies systemic barriers—including poor intellectual property enforcement and a weak manufacturing base—that hinder the transfer of technology to Congolese enterprises.

• The DRC exhibits a sharp divide in mining technology, where artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) remains low-mechanized while large-scale mining (LSM) projects employ some of the world's most advanced technologies.
• The Kibali gold mine serves as a primary example of high-tech adoption, featuring a fully automated production level and material handling system, including driverless loaders and drones for measurements.
• The Kamoa-Kakula copper project aims to produce the "greenest copper" by utilizing renewable hydroelectricity and planning the integration of electric and automated vehicles to replace diesel alternatives.
• Local Congolese companies with Congolese capital capture less than 10% of the equipment and operational procurement market, with foreign companies dominating high-value contracts.
• Local suppliers face significant barriers to entering the high-tech procurement market, specifically a lack of access to capital, a shortage of certified specialized skills, and a lack of trust from mining companies regarding reliability.
• The Mining Code of 2018 introduced strict local content requirements, including mandates that at least 10% of capital be owned by Congolese citizens and the priority recruitment of nationals.
• Implementation of the 2018 Mining Code is hampered by contradictory definitions of 'subcontractor' between the Subcontracting Law and the Mining Code, leading to legal uncertainty.
• The DRC's regulatory framework for intellectual property rights (IPR) is outdated and largely unenforced, which discourages local investment in new technologies.
• Severe infrastructure deficits, particularly in electrification and internet penetration, force mining companies to build their own power generation and limit the ability of local SMEs to digitize.
• Despite systemic challenges, there is evidence of growing local entrepreneurship in low-value sectors like food sourcing and specialized niches like autonomous energy integration.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2021). IMPACT OF NEW MINING TECHNOLOGIES ON LOCAL PROCUREMENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/impact-new-mining-technologies-democratic-republic-congo-en.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. IMPACT OF NEW MINING TECHNOLOGIES ON LOCAL PROCUREMENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO. 2021. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/impact-new-mining-technologies-democratic-republic-congo-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=IMPACT OF NEW MINING TECHNOLOGIES ON LOCAL PROCUREMENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO |date=December 2021 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/impact-new-mining-technologies-democratic-republic-congo-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2021impact, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{IMPACT OF NEW MINING TECHNOLOGIES ON LOCAL PROCUREMENT IN THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2021}, month = dec, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2021-12/impact-new-mining-technologies-democratic-republic-congo-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }