Kamoa Copper Lights Up Africa’s Largest Eco-Friendly Copper Smelter in DRC
Kamoa Copper Inaugurates Furnace at Africa’s Largest Sustainable Copper Smelter
On November 21, 2025, Kamoa Copper officially inaugurated the furnace at Africa’s largest and most environmentally friendly copper smelter, marking a historic milestone for the company and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s mining industry. The event represents a major advance in copper processing capacity on the continent.
The ceremony, held in Lualaba province, blended modern engineering with ancestral tradition. In a nearby village close to Sammukoko, Cité Maseka, and Cité Mpesa Moya, a traditional furnace known as Lwanzo lua mikuba was lit by Chief Musokantanda Sabuni Kafweku, the guardian of Congolese copper heritage.
Using methods passed down for generations, the Chief ignited a ceremonial flame that symbolized the enduring connection between local communities and the country’s mining legacy.
From the ancestral furnace, the Chief transferred the flame to two lamps and passed it to Robert Friedland, Founder and Co-Chairman of Ivanhoe Mines, whose vision in 1997 initiated the Kamoa-Kakula mining complex.
“This is more than a ritual; it is the passing of the torch of transformative change that this smelter embodies,” said Friedland. “From a site where we once saw only vast expanses of grass, we are today lighting a blaze with a fire blessed by tradition to fuel a facility that will set a new global standard.”
The flame then traveled through Ivanhoe Mines’ leadership, from Friedland to CEO Marna Cloete, then to Kamoa Copper CEO Annebel Oosthuizen, and finally to Smelter Manager Changdong Liu. Each department participated, collectively lighting the furnace, symbolizing teamwork, achievement, and a shared vision for the future.
“This day belongs to every Kamoa employee,” said Oosthuizen. “You built it. We lit it. This is our collective success. The fire we lit today is the light that will change the future—not just for Kamoa Copper, but for our community, our country, and our continent.”
A Smelter for the Future
The new smelter embodies three core pillars:
Local Empowerment: Driving unprecedented local development and creating specialized skills for Congolese talent.
Ecological Leadership: Cutting Scope 3 emissions and setting a global benchmark for sustainable copper production.
National Pride: Serving as a cornerstone for the industrialization of the Democratic Republic of Congo.
With the furnace now operational, the Kamoa-Kakula smelter stands as a symbol of what can be achieved when tradition, innovation, and community unite, lighting the way for a sustainable and prosperous future for the DRC and the African mining sector.
