Changes in the volume of production of major mining, manufacturing and agricultural products

1. Mining and oil sectors

The reform of this sector by opening it up to private partners has made it possible to attract several subsidiaries of the world’s major multinationals to the DRC. The success story indicates the presence in the country of companies such as: TENKE FUNGURUME MINING (FREE PORT McROAN, KOLWEZI COPPER COMPANY (KINROSS-EGMF), KIBALI GOLD, MUTANDA MINING, ASHANTI GOLDFIELD KILO, TWANGIZA MINING, etc.), KIBALI GOLD, MUTANDA MINING, ASHANTI GOLDFIELD KILO and TWANGIZA MINING.

This massive presence has favored the meteoric increase over the years of the country’s mining production, which explains the spectacular improvement of the country’s macro-economic indicators. Below, the evolution of the production of some of the main products of the sector.

Table n°2: Evolution of the production volume of the main mining products of the DRC from 2006 to 2019

 Source:Central Bank of Congo, Condensed statistical information, Kinshasa, January 2020.

Graph n°9: Evolution of copper and cobalt production volume in the DRC from 2006 to 2019

 Source: Generated on the basis of the data in Table 2.

Graph n°10: Evolution of the volume of oil production in the DRC from 2006 to 2019 (in 1,000 barrels)

Source: Generated on the basis of the data in Table 2

Graph n°11: Zinc, diamond and raw gold production volumes in the DRC from 2006 to 2019

Source: Generated on the basis of the data in Table 2. 

Source: Generated on the basis of the data in Table 2.

Cement and agriculture sector

Within the framework of the diversification and resilience of the national economy advocated by the Government, DRC expects from the private sector, sustainable and productive investments likely to create national wealth in sectors such as agro-industry, building materials, packaging, mining and metallurgy, fishing, livestock farming, tourism, etc.

There are several reasons for making decisions to invest in the above-mentioned sectors: (i) the availability of market share, (ii) the availability of manpower, (iii) the institutional appropriation of the business climate, (iv), (v) the freedom of enterprise recognized to all by the Constitution of the Republic, (vi) the presence of several raw materials including limestone, quartz or silica, wood, oil, etc., (vii) the presence of a large number of other raw materials such as coal, oil, etc.

To illustrate the availability of market share in the cement sector, national cement production in 2019 was around 1,382,081 tons/year while the size of the demand is estimated at 5,000,000 tons/year. The resulting difference is covered by imports from China, Turkey, Egypt, etc., which are not included in the figure. However, the ideal would be to valorize the numerous limestone sites scattered throughout the country.

In spite of the entry of new economic units in this branch of activities, including PPC Barnet and the Kongo-Central Cement Plant, national production in this sector has not yet reached the peak. The country still needs new cement plants, especially in the eastern part (Tshopo Province, South Kivu, North Kivu...), the southern part (Haut-Katanga, Lualaba, Tanganyika...) and even in the central part of the country in the Kasaï area. It should also be noted that apart from Portland cement, the country is also able to produce puzzolanic cement and metallurgical cement.

The arrival of new economic units in the cement sector, whose market share is still available, is a major asset to contribute to domestic price stability, economic growth, and the reduction of cement imports in order to improve our country’s balance of trade position.

With regard to the transformation of agriculture, it is one of the pillars capable of making the DRC a middle-income country by 2030 and a high-income country by 2050. Accordingly, the strategy adopted by the Government to diversify its economy is based on the development of several sectors and industries, in particular agriculture and the agri-food chain, through the development of perennial crops such as coffee, cocoa, palm oil, rubber, etc. The Government has also adopted a strategy to diversify its economy through the development of a number of sectors and industries, in particular agriculture and the agri-food chain, through the development of perennial crops such as coffee, cocoa, palm oil and rubber.

The evolution of the production volume of cement and some agricultural products is as follows:

Table n°3: Evolution of the production volume of cement and the main agricultural products of the R.D.C. from 2006 to 2019

Source: Central Bank of Congo, Condensed statistical information, Kinshasa, January 2020

Graph n°12: Evolution of cement production volume in the DRC from 2006 to 2019

Source: Generated on the basis of the data in Table 3.

Graph n°13: Evolution of the production volume of the main agricultural products of the DRC from 2006 to 2019

Source: Generated on the basis of the data in Table 3.