Lualaba is the DRC's most productive mining province by copper and cobalt output. Its capital Kolwezi sits at the centre of the most intensively developed copper-cobalt mining district in the world by production volume and grade. This article explains the province's mining landscape — operators, metals, governance, and logistics — for readers approaching the topic from a commercial or investment angle.
Why Lualaba leads
The mines in Lualaba produced the majority of the DRC's approximately 2 million tonnes of copper in 2023. The province hosts Kamoa-Kakula, Tenke Fungurume/KFM, Mutanda, and KCC — the four largest copper operations in the country by output. Cobalt from these operations accounts for a major share of global cobalt mine supply.
Lualaba was created in 2015 when the former Katanga province was divided into four new provinces. The separation gave Lualaba direct control of royalty distributions and provincial administration for the mines on its territory, which is significant given the amounts involved: under the 2018 Mining Code, 25 percent of royalties go to the province.
Operating mines
Kamoa-Kakula (Ivanhoe 39.6%, Zijin 39.6%, DRC govt 20%): approximately 437,000 tonnes of copper in 2023, expanding.
TFM / KFM (CMOC 80%, Gécamines 20% for TFM; CMOC 95%, Gécamines 5% for KFM): approximately 450,000 tonnes copper plus 18,000 tonnes cobalt from TFM in 2023.
Mutanda (Glencore 100%): approximately 300,000 tonnes copper.
KCC (Glencore 75%, state 25%): copper and cobalt.
BOSS Mining (ERG): copper-cobalt oxide processing.
Governance and administration
Lualaba's provincial government in Kolwezi administers mining-related services at the provincial level. The Division Provinciale des Mines de Lualaba is the primary provincial interface for operators on production declarations, environmental monitoring, and community compliance. SAEMAPE has a provincial presence overseeing ASM activity.
CAMI remains the national authority for permit management and cadastral decisions. Provincial administrations do not issue or cancel mining permits; those powers rest with CAMI and the national Ministry of Mines in Kinshasa.
ASM in Lualaba
Lualaba has the DRC's most active ASM cobalt sector. An estimated 30 designated ZEA are located in the province, with additional informal activity around concession boundaries. ASM cobalt from Lualaba feeds into processing intermediaries before reaching Chinese hydroxide refineries. The traceability and governance of this stream is the subject of ongoing industry and regulatory attention.
