Keypoints:
- $1.08bn KFM mine expansion in DRC
- Output rising by 100,000 tonnes annually
- China deepens Africa resource footprint
CHINA has intensified its presence in Africa’s critical minerals sector after CMOC Group Ltd. confirmed a $1.08bn expansion of its KFM copper mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The announcement, reported by Bloomberg and other international outlets, highlights Beijing’s continued push to secure minerals central to the global green-energy transition and domestic industrial growth.
The upgrade represents the second phase of the KFM mine and is scheduled to commence in 2027. Upon completion, annual copper output is expected to increase by approximately 100,000 metric tonnes. The mine’s first phase reached full capacity in 2023, expanding CMOC’s footprint in a region that hosts some of the world’s richest copper and cobalt concentrations.
Boosting supply chains for clean technology
CMOC, headquartered in Luoyang, China, holds a 71.25 percent stake in KFM through a Hong Kong-based subsidiary. The company says its investment will bolster production capacity and further integrate operations into global copper and cobalt supply chains, both of which are essential to electric vehicle batteries, renewable energy systems and modern electronics.
Global copper markets have tightened in recent months, with supply concerns heightened by disruptions such as the suspension of Freeport’s Grasberg mine in Indonesia. Analysts argue CMOC’s move could help stabilise supply at a time when global demand for low-carbon technologies is accelerating.
Growing global portfolio
Alongside KFM, CMOC operates the Tenke Fungurume mine, another major copper and cobalt producer in the DRC. The company also owns the Northparkes copper-gold mine in Australia and niobium and phosphate operations in Brazil, feeding critical sectors including agriculture and advanced manufacturing.
US mining firms are similarly eyeing opportunities in the DRC as they seek to secure access to strategic minerals underpinning clean-energy ambitions and high-tech manufacturing.
China’s African resurgence
CMOC’s expansion comes amid a renewed surge of Chinese investment across Africa. According to data from Griffith University and the Green Finance & Development Centre, Chinese firms signed an estimated $30.5bn worth of construction and infrastructure contracts across the continent during the first half of 2025 — nearly five times the value recorded in the same period of 2024.
Recent Chinese-led initiatives include a $450mn steel plant in Nigeria, solar manufacturing facilities in Ethiopia and expanded mining operations in Botswana and Sierra Leone. Beijing has also supported Uganda’s $1.7bn hydropower project and pledged a further $1.7bn for industrial ventures in Ethiopia.
Strategic implications for Africa
Industry observers say CMOC’s latest investment extends beyond mining. It reflects China’s broader strategy of pairing resource access with infrastructure development, strengthening long-term economic influence while supporting Africa’s industrial ambitions.
With copper prices firming and supply risks emerging, African governments could benefit from rising demand — particularly if they accelerate local processing and value-addition capacity.
As Phase Two of the KFM project moves forward, China is poised to tighten its hold over the minerals powering the clean-energy era, positioning Africa at the centre of a global industrial realignment.
