The Vinmart Group inaugurated three new industrial production units in Lubumbashi on July 6, 2026, in a ceremony presided over by Minister of Foreign Trade Julien Paluku, Minister of Entrepreneurship and SMEs Justin Kalumba Mwana Ngongo, and Haut-Katanga Governor Martin Kazembe.
The units — a square tube fabrication facility operated by Sotrafer and two industrial plants under Mining Engineering Services producing electrical cables and transformers — represent an expansion of local manufacturing capacity for industrial inputs that the DRC currently imports in significant quantities despite being one of the world's largest copper producers.
Electrical cables, transformers, and related copper-based equipment are among the principal inputs used by the DRC's mining sector, energy utilities including SNEL and Regideso, and construction industry. Minister Paluku called on these public and private operators to prioritise locally manufactured products, stating that the DRC holds the entire upstream value chain — from copper cathodes through to electrical cables and underground cables — and should develop the processing steps to match.
Founded in 1997, Vinmart Group has established itself as an integrated player across mining services, engineering, metallurgy, and industrial manufacturing through its MES and Sotrafer subsidiaries. The new units extend this integration into product categories previously dominated by imports. Minister Paluku cited approximately 25,000 direct jobs associated with this industrial dynamic and confirmed that the government intends to support such investments through local industry safeguard measures and an incentive fiscal policy framework.
No investment quantum for the three new units, production capacity figures, or specific procurement commitments from SNEL, Regideso, or mining operators were disclosed at the inauguration.
