DRC opens its first gold refinery and expects to produce 600kg monthly

The Democratic Republic of the Congo has officially inaugurated its first gold refinery, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to strengthen its control over mineral resources and increase the value it gains from gold production.

The facility, known as DRC Gold Refinery S.A., was inaugurated on March 12, 2026, in the lakeside city of Kalemie in Tanganyika province. It represents the first time the country will refine its gold domestically rather than exporting most of it for processing abroad.

The refinery has an initial processing capacity of about 500 to 600 kilograms of gold per month. It is designed to refine raw gold into bullion with a purity level of up to 99.9 percent.

Officials say the facility will manage the entire gold production chain, from purchasing raw gold from artisanal miners to producing finished gold bars ready for domestic use or export.

The project is a partnership between the state-owned DRC Gold Trading SA and Lunga Mining SA, combining government oversight with private sector participation.

Authorities believe the refinery will help formalize the country’s gold sector, which has long struggled with smuggling and illegal trade. By refining gold locally, the government hopes to improve transparency and ensure that more revenue from the country’s mineral wealth remains within the national economy.

The initiative is also expected to strengthen economic sovereignty by allowing the country to capture more value from its resources rather than exporting unprocessed minerals.

In addition, the Central Bank of Congo will receive priority access to the refined gold to help build and strengthen the country’s national reserves.

Officials say the refinery will also benefit the hundreds of thousands of artisanal miners operating across the country by offering more transparent pricing and a reliable domestic buyer for their gold.

The move reflects a broader trend across Africa, where countries such as Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Mali are expanding local refining capacity in an effort to gain greater control over mineral resources and increase national revenue from the mining sector.