Chinese Firms Now Hold Stakes in Over Half of Congo’s Critical Mining Projects
Chinese companies hold minority or majority stakes in 54% of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s critical mining projects, spread across 49 operations, according to a new update of a critical minerals database compiled by Africa Business+ and EY.
Chinese firms have tightened their grip on the Democratic Republic of Congo’s most important mines, according to new industry data that tracks ownership in critical mineral projects.
The latest update of a critical minerals database produced by Africa Business+ in partnership with EY finds that Chinese companies now hold minority or majority stakes in 54% of the DRC’s critical mining projects. In total, the report counts a Chinese presence in 49 projects across the country.
The DRC is a major source of minerals essential for batteries, electric vehicles and other technologies, and the new figures underline how central Chinese investment has become to those supply chains.
Chinese enterprises, including both state-owned and private firms, have built positions in Congolese mining through direct stakes and joint ventures. The database’s update suggests that over half of the country’s critical projects now have Chinese equity involvement.
For Kinshasa, this concentration of Chinese capital brings investment, infrastructure and export revenue, while also raising questions about how contracts are structured and how much leverage the government retains over strategic assets.
For governments and companies in other regions that depend on Congo’s output, the report highlights the extent to which access to critical minerals runs through projects with Chinese participation.
Signals to track from here include any policy moves by the DRC government to review mining deals, fresh non-Chinese investment in Congolese projects that could shift the balance of ownership, and reactions in countries that are trying to reduce reliance on supply chains where China has a dominant position.
Sources
- OSINT