DRC plans 90-km highway to boost copper and cobalt transport

The Congolese government is planning a 90-kilometer highway to connect the Kasumbalesa dry port, Lubumbashi, and the Kambove mining basin. The project aims to improve the transport of copper and cobalt.

During a meeting in Kinshasa, Infrastructure Minister John Banza Lunda met with a South African investor delegation led by Hervé-Claude Ntumba Batukonke of the Industrial Promotion Fund. The proposed infrastructure would feature six lanes, divided into three lanes in each direction. This expanded plan builds upon a 2023 agreement between the Haut-Katanga provincial government and the South African company Yellowstone, which originally proposed a four-lane road costing $250 million.

Additionally, Yellowstone is involved in a $599.9 million concession for the development and operation of the Kasumbalesa dry port. This public-private partnership is scheduled to begin construction in January 2027, with Standard Bank and Afreximbank serving as coordinating and financing banks.