A new industry platform aimed at accelerating the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) industrialisation drive has been launched, as stakeholders push to translate mineral wealth into long-term economic transformation.
Organisers of the DRC-Africa Battery Metals Forum have announced the introduction of the DRC Critical Minerals & Industrialisation Forum, which will be co-located with the flagship annual event in Kolwezi from October 7–9, 2026.
The move follows what organisers described as a successful 2025 edition of the Battery Metals Forum, which underscored the need to shift from dialogue to concrete action in advancing value addition and beneficiation within the DRC’s mining sector.
Samukelo Madlabane, Event Director of the Mining Portfolio at VUKA Group, said the new forum is designed to provide momentum to the country’s industrialisation agenda by convening key actors across the mineral value chain.
He noted that the previous forum drew strong engagement from both government and the private sector, reinforcing a shared commitment to building integrated industrial value chains anchored on the DRC’s vast critical mineral reserves. The country is a leading global producer of cobalt and copper, both essential to battery technologies and the global energy transition.
The upcoming forum will bring together mining companies, refiners, downstream manufacturers, financiers, engineering firms, logistics providers, infrastructure developers and policymakers to explore practical pathways for expanding local processing, manufacturing and supply chain participation.
It will also focus on project financing, energy and transport infrastructure, regulatory frameworks, digital systems and sustainability standards needed to support industrial growth.
Industry players that supported last year’s event included major mining operators, financial institutions and service providers active in the Congolese market.
Organisers say the new platform aligns with the DRC government’s action-oriented strategy to industrialise the economy by leveraging its mineral resources, positioning Kolwezi as a central hub in Africa’s evolving battery metals and critical minerals landscape.