A seven-day trade mission to southern DRC concluded with participants citing practical outcomes: meetings locked in, supplier contacts verified, and clear next steps in energy logistics, food supply, healthcare and warehousing.
More than 50 executives from 16 countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, South Sudan, Burundi, South Africa, the UK, Germany, India and the UAE, visited operational sites across Kolwezi, Lubumbashi and Likasi. The itinerary covered the Kamoa-Kakula Copper Complex, CMOC Group’s DRC operations, Agro-industrial Development in Kolwezi (DAGRIL) and the new Lualaba International Airport.
Two developments stood out as logistics tailwinds: the airport and access to the Lobito Corridor, which links the copper belt to Atlantic ports via Angola and Namibia. Klaus Buttner, who leads EMEA operations at the Alberta United Kingdom Office, High Commission of Canada, said the two are a game changer for time critical cargo in southern DRC.
“Better air and corridor links will cut turnarounds for critical shipments and improve reliability for perishables and medical supplies,” said Klaus who was part of the trade mission organised by Equity Group.
At Kamoa-Kakula, investors toured the underground mine, concentrator and a newly commissioned smelter with capacity above 500,000 tonnes of copper anodes per year. CMOC Group Limited, a leading Chinese copper and cobalt producer, operates large DRC complexes that require dependable inputs every day. Those volumes are driving demand for depots, cross docking, warehousing and fleet services around Kolwezi and along feeder roads.
Within that logistics chain, energy logistics is the binding constraint, with demand from mines, transport and construction outpacing fuel distribution capacity across Katanga and Lualaba.
“Katanga and Lualaba continue to experience an unsteady fuel supply chain, coupled with rapidly growing demand,” said Ambrose Mwachilumo, CEO of Pyxida OLAM. Echoing the ground reality, Elda Shaidi, Sales and Business Development Manager at Epson Energy Tanzania, added: “The region’s energy gap is relatively huge. We see opportunities in fuel depots, last mile distribution, storage infrastructure and lubricants, and we’re planning to expand into the DRC.”
Regulatory measures in Lualaba are designed to de-risk logistics and other support services, including duty and VAT exemptions on eligible equipment under the enhanced Mining Code and Investment Framework, and a 10-year fiscal stability clause covering taxes, royalties and duties. The resulting certainty improves cash flow visibility and supports longer term financing for storage, handling and fleet assets.
As mining towns grow, essential services are drawing capital, particularly in healthcare and food distribution. “Given the growth around Kolwezi, investing in medical equipment and supplies is worth considering,” said Catherine Otieno, Director of Pharmacy at Prodigy Healthcare, after a visit to Mupanja Hospital. On the food side, suppliers are mapping bulk demand from industrial camps and retail. “The copper belt is a key expansion market for our long-life milk. Bulk buyers such as large mines, supermarkets and wholesalers require reliable warehousing and route to market,” said Fridah Gichobi, Export Development Manager at Brookside Dairy.
With faster cargo routes cutting lead times, DAGRIL is expanding agri processing, including maize and feeds, and engineering services to anchor food and maintenance supply for mine sites, and is inviting partners to co invest in storage and distribution hubs around Kolwezi.
Equity BCDC set out funding options for market entry, covering borderless banking, trade finance, foreign exchange and cash management. “We are showing investors a complete ecosystem from mining to manufacturing, agriculture, logistics and infrastructure, and we will back working capital and asset needs with borderless banking, trade finance, foreign exchange and cash management,” said Paty Paterne Mushagalusa, Associate Director for Commercial Projects at Equity BCDC.
Mpofu Vusi, Equity Group Director for Mining and Extractives, added that, “Our goal as Equity is to connect capital to opportunity. When you visit the mines, the farms, the factories and the roads, you begin to see the real opportunity.”
The mission also connected delegates to the National Agency for Investment Promotion (ANAPI), the Fédération des Entreprises du Congo (FEC) and local chambers for registrations and onboarding, helping convert interest into formal pipelines.
Several participants said they secured follow up meetings and referrals during the visit. For many in the delegation, those opportunities now come with named contacts and near-term milestones, the kind of specifics that turn a week on the ground into real business.
“I have built some business bridges from this mission, with more than four promising opportunities after B2B meetings facilitated during the visit,” said Dimitry Ohou, Petropipe Oil and Gas Ltd Country Manager for Congo Brazzaville.
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