As African nations move to tighten control over their mineral wealth through raw mineral export bans, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has unveiled a US$180 million ($249 million) geological and geophysical mapping program spanning 700,000km² of its territory. The initiative reflects a broader push to capture more value domestically and strengthen sovereignty over critical resources.
The project brings together authorities from the DRC and partners from the US, France, and South Africa, including KoBold Metals, BRGM, and the Council for Geoscience. It aims to build a national mineral resources database, giving the DRC a more detailed picture of the country’s mineral wealth.
The program commenced in January 2026 in collaboration with Xcalibur, a Spain-based geodata company. Xcalibur plans to use airborne surveys, digitised historical records, and advanced analytics to map more than 700,000km² of the DRC.
The geological database is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2026, Raoul Wazenga Vitima, director general of the National Geological Survey of Congo (SGNC), told Reuters.
“The data generated under these programs constitute a strategic asset of the Congolese state,” Vitima said.
The DRC Government plans to keep control of access to the database in state hands, with requests for information to be assessed against investor needs and the protection of the DRC’s strategic interests. It will operate under a tiered-access model, with basic information available for free and more strategic data available for a price.
The implication is that the DRC will now hold the data as a strategic national asset. This is a stark shift from its colonial past, when Belgian authorities and mining companies conducted extensive mapping across the territory, with much of the information remaining outside the DRC.
The new database policy will also provide the authorities with greater influence over how its resources are explored and who it grants access to.
Belgium’s AfricaMuseum holds extensive archives from its colonial era in the DRC, which ended in June 1960. The museum has been battling with KoBold over the US company’s plans to digitise the archives and make them accessible to the public. Benjamin Katabuka, managing director of KoBold DRC, has expressed plans to do so. The director of the AfricaMuseum has stated that the archives belong to Belgium.
KoBold opened a new office in Lubumbashi, DRC, earlier in 2026 as it continues to expand its operations in the country. On 7 September 2026, the company secured seven exploration permits within the country to conduct work on lithium, tin, coltan, and rare earths.
Africa’s mineral sovereignty drive gains momentum
Mining makes up a significant portion of the DRC’s economy, driven largely by cobalt and copper production. Major projects such as Ivanhoe Mines’ (TSX:IVN) Kamoa-Kakula Copper Project are also continuing to ramp up output.
The country holds around 50–70% of the global supply of cobalt, as well as significant amounts of copper, coltan, lithium, and gold.
The DRC’s Ministry of Mines notes that around 90% of the country’s resources remain untapped and underexplored.
This news follows a new export ban from the DRC on copper and cobalt concentrates imposed in early August 2026. Raw material export bans are increasingly common across Africa as countries seek to retain greater control over and gain more value from their mineral wealth.
These measures reflect a broader shift towards developing Africa’s mid- and downstream industries, as countries seek to strengthen local sectors and create greater economic opportunities for their communities.
Zimbabwe has just made similar moves, banning the export of antimony and tungsten as the government seeks to capture more value by ensuring materials are refined locally.
Zimbabwe has suspended shipments of ores and concentrates, according to Secretary for Mines Thomas Wushe. In February 2026, Zimbabwe halted shipments of lithium concentrate in order to gain control of its metals value chain, ensuring that the value-added activities occur domestically. While export restrictions were later relaxed in April 2026, they are expected to be reimposed in early 2027.
Write to Amy Rotman at Mining.com.au
Main image: DRC Ministry of Mines
