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Copperbelt · Lualaba Province · DRC
Kota Zamba — Lingala for "go into the forest."
We do the fieldwork others won't.
Actionable economic intelligence on the DRC — sector analysis, risk assessment, and strategic advisory for investors, corporates, and institutions operating in Africa's resource frontier.
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Entreprise Générale du Cobalt, Trafigura and Arizona-based EVelution Energy signed an MOU at the Cobalt Institute Congress in Madrid establishing long-term cobalt hydroxide supply from DRC to the US. EVelution plans a refinery meeting ~40% of projected US cobalt demand by 2029. Parties will explore EGC taking a minority equity stake in EVelution.
The Finance Ministry sold $70M of 2-year dollar bonds at 8% yield — down 100bp from the prior auction — drawing $86.6M in bids. The Ministry cited "gradual improvement in investor confidence" driven by macroeconomic stability and the country's entry onto international capital markets.
EGC CEO Eric Kalala announced that EGC will designate small areas within industrial concessions for artisanal cooperative use, without changing the permit's legal status. First deal signed with Eurasian Resources Group in February 2026. Talks ongoing with US firm Virtus Minerals.
CREC met with Mines Minister Louis Watum to discuss a potential copper mine outside the traditional Katanga/Lualaba belt. President Tshisekedi expressed urgency for realisation. The JV would pair CREC with state diamond company MIBA in Kasai-Oriental province.
Helios Towers DRC and the Autorité de Régulation de l'Électricité (ARE) signed an MOU in Kinshasa to improve access to reliable, regulated energy for passive telecoms infrastructure. The protocol facilitates connections to licensed operators and mini-grid solutions across 2,800 tower sites, 760 of them rural.
Atlanta-based Renewvia Solar Africa will deploy $750M for 2.1M connections across four countries. DRC is included in Phase 1; a mini-grid is planned for Baraka, a town of 270,000 on Lake Tanganyika. Renewvia already operates 24 commercial mini-grids in Kenya and Nigeria.
Finance Ministers Doudou Fwamba (DRC) and Christian Yoka (Congo-B) signed a protocol fixing the tax, customs and concessionaire revenue framework for the Maluku bridge project, chaired by VP Jean-Pierre Bemba. The bridge would connect the world's two closest capital cities across the Congo River.
State miner Gécamines and Mercuria Energy Group marketing JV with US DFC backing. Targets output from minority stakes in Kamoto Copper Company and Tenke Fungurume. Signals shift from passive royalty collection to direct revenue and volume control.
13 licences covering 3,000+ sq km, targeting 5,000 sq km in the Manono region. AI-driven targeting. 30,000 km² of airborne surveys. Backed by Gates and Bezos. The Tervuren colonial archive dispute continues to obstruct AI exploration models.
10% of national cobalt exports reserved for a strategic state reserve (9,600t in 2026). Unshipped volumes transfer to government stockpile. Price has risen +160% since the February 2025 embargo. Glencore cobalt production down 39% in Q1 2026.
Largest bilateral hydropower project in Central Africa. Combined with Kinsuka Power (900 MW green light), over 7,000 MW of new capacity committed in Q1 2026. Kamoa solar project now 70% complete at 60 MW.
EquityBCDC and TMB/KCB directly affected by Instruction 18. Triggers recapitalisation and potential consolidation. BII senior loan of $25M to Rawbank, part of a $265M IFC/Proparco/OPEP Fund package targeting 1,500+ additional SMEs.
Monthly market intelligence publication covering eight strategic sectors. 40+ primary sources per edition. Macroeconomic dashboard, sector trends, regulatory watch, and our proprietary Risk & Opportunity Index. Current edition: May 2026 — consolidated Q1–Q2 update, data through 11 May 2026.
Bespoke sector or thematic analysis commissioned to your specifications. Due diligence support, market entry assessments, competitive landscape, supply chain risk mapping. Each report ends with "Implications & Recommendations" — what you can do now, should do next, and must watch.
Direct analyst access for ongoing intelligence needs. Oral briefings, real-time risk alerts, regulatory navigation, stakeholder mapping. For organizations with active DRC operations or investment exposure requiring continuous situational awareness.
GDP 5.5%+. BCC rate 13.5%. Inflation 2.2%. Eurobond $1.25Bn. FX reserves $8.8Bn. IMF FEC 3rd review Jun 2026.
Kamoa record 50,176t/mo. Cobalt +160% to $57,320/t. 72% world cobalt. Gécamines–Mercuria 500kt US pivot. KoBold 3,000km² lithium.
Inga 3 Phase 1 $250M. Pioka-Tombe 6,450MW. Kamoa solar 70% complete. 21% electrification → 62% target 2030.
National Digital Plan $8.8Bn. Towers 5,150 → 30,000 by 2030. Helios–ARE energy protocol. DRC Pass blockchain identity.
Moody's B3 stable. Coface D/D. Doha ceasefire Feb 2026. Montreux MoU Apr 2026. MONUSCO extended Dec 2026.
Deposits $16.24Bn. Rawbank $5Bn assets. Eurobond sovereign curve. Instruction 18 BCC. BII–Rawbank $25M SME facility.
Lobito $753M closed. Dilolo-Kolwezi $500M WB request. Binza-Ozone 330,000 m³/day. Kin-Brazzaville bridge fiscal MOU signed.
80M ha arable, 4% cultivated. Coffee +108%. Exports record $433M. Maï-Ndombe first Congo Basin carbon payment. EUDR compliance.
Eight sectors. Forty primary sources. A proprietary risk index. The Brief synthesises open-source data, institutional sources, and field intelligence into a structured executive report. The May 2026 edition — a consolidated Q1–Q2 update covering March to May 2026 — documents the three structural inflections that define this moment: the inaugural Eurobond, the BCC monetary pivot, and the Gécamines-driven US critical minerals architecture.
Kota Zamba is an independent economic intelligence consultancy focused exclusively on the Democratic Republic of Congo. Founded in Lubumbashi — at the heart of the Copperbelt — we produce field-verified analysis for decision-makers who need more than headlines.
The name comes from Lingala: kota zamba, "go into the forest." It captures what we do — the patient, methodical fieldwork of understanding an economy that most observers view from a distance. Our clients don't need another overview. They need the specific insight that changes a negotiation, a due diligence, or an investment thesis.
We are not a media outlet. We are not a consultancy that covers "Africa." We cover the DRC — its eight strategic sectors, its institutional dynamics, its risks, and its opportunities — with a depth and specificity that comes from being on the ground.
Based in Lubumbashi, not London or Johannesburg. Our intelligence is sourced locally, cross-referenced institutionally, and verified in person.
BCC, ITIE, ARPTC, ARECOMS, FAOSTAT, Moody's, Bloomberg. Every claim sourced, every trend verified. 40+ primary sources per Brief edition.
Not just data — implications. Every sector analysis ends with what you can do now, what you should plan for, and what you must watch. Intelligence without action is noise.
No corporate sponsor. No government affiliation. No advertising. The Brief's credibility depends on its independence. That is non-negotiable.
Whether you need a one-off assessment or ongoing intelligence, we start with a conversation — not a sales pitch. Tell us the decision you're trying to make.
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