DRC Losing $7.5 Billion Annually to Illegal Artisanal Gold Exports
DR Congo Faces Massive Gold Smuggling Crisis as Illegal Exports Drain Billions from Economy
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continues to suffer massive financial losses from the illegal export of artisanal gold, with authorities estimating that nearly 50 tonnes of gold are smuggled out of the country each year.
According to DRC Gold Trading SA, the illicit trade is costing the national economy an estimated US$7.5 billion annually.
The figures were revealed by the company’s Director General, Joseph M. Kazibaziba, in a video shared on the company’s X account, where he outlined the scale of fraud affecting the country’s artisanal mining sector.
Kazibaziba described the situation as deeply concerning, noting that a significant portion of artisanal gold production continues to bypass official channels and feed cross-border smuggling networks.
He explained that before the introduction of new traceability and monitoring systems, the DRC officially exported less than one tonne of artisanal gold annually.
“The DRC exported less than 1,000 kilograms of gold despite losing more than 50 tonnes to fraud every year,” he said.
Despite ongoing challenges, Kazibaziba highlighted progress made by DRC Gold Trading SA over the past three years.
The state-owned company says it has officially exported more than 11 tonnes of artisanal gold during that period, helping return over US$1.5 billion into the formal economy.
However, the Director General admitted that illegal trade remains widespread and largely uncontrolled.
According to company estimates, more than 100 tonnes of artisanal gold have been smuggled out of the country over the past three years alone.
“We have not even reduced fraud by 10%,” Kazibaziba acknowledged, pointing to entrenched smuggling networks operating across several mining provinces.
To address the problem, DRC Gold Trading SA plans to expand its operations into more artisanal mining zones in an effort to capture larger volumes of gold through legal channels.
Kazibaziba said the increase from just 25 kilograms of officially exported gold in previous years to 11 tonnes today represents “a giant step” toward formalising the sector.
Beyond combating smuggling, the company also aims to position the DRC as a major regional player in the gold trade. Plans are underway to establish a national gold refinery certified by the London Bullion Market Association (LBMA), a globally recognised standard in precious metals trading.
The company is also exploring the creation of a Congolese gold market with pricing based on the Congolese franc, a move aimed at strengthening the country’s financial sovereignty in the minerals sector.
“We want to establish our own Congolese gold market with prices fixed in Congolese francs,” Kazibaziba said, adding that discussions are ongoing with the Central Bank of Congo to develop a national gold pricing benchmark.
Illegal mining and mineral smuggling remain among the DRC’s biggest economic and security challenges, particularly in the eastern part of the country, where large quantities of artisanal gold are trafficked through neighbouring countries before entering international markets.
