Congo to Audit Major Miners Annually Under New Local-Content Rules
Congo's subcontracting regulator says major mining firms will face annual audits from 2027, as a new local-content law takes effect.
The Democratic Republic of Congo will require large mining companies to undergo yearly audits of their subcontracting practices and local-content compliance starting in 2027, the head of the country's subcontracting regulator has said.
The measure is part of a broader push by Kinshasa to direct more procurement and contract spending to Congolese-owned businesses. The world's leading cobalt producer and Africa's largest copper producer has been tightening oversight of its mining sector in recent years.
A local-content law is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027. According to Beleshayi Kasanda Ted, director general of the Authority for the Regulation of Subcontracting in the Private Sector (ARSP), authorities are drafting industry-specific rules for mining and other sectors. These will include penalties and mandatory three-year compliance plans.
Major operators in the country include Ivanhoe Mines, Glencore, Eurasian Resources Group, and China's CMOC and Zijin.
Enforcement drive widens
Earlier this month, ARSP instructed Glencore, Ivanhoe's Kipushi zinc mine and Chinese-controlled copper miner Sicomines to halt non-compliant subcontracting arrangements, file corrective plans and widen opportunities for Congolese-owned suppliers.
An Ivanhoe spokesperson said the company maintains regular contact with ARSP and regards its Kipushi mine as compliant with applicable subcontracting rules. Glencore and Sicomines did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Beleshayi said the regulator is recruiting additional inspectors and reviewing previously unresolved company inspections as part of the compliance campaign.
Business and civil-society concerns
Robert Malumba Kalombo, head of the Federation of Enterprises of Congo, the country's largest private-sector business association, cautioned that implementation could become overly focused on inspections and penalties rather than helping build competitive Congolese companies.
Jean-Claud Mputue, a spokesperson for the nonprofit group Congo Is Not for Sale, called for greater transparency around enforcement actions and the disclosure of subcontractors' beneficial owners. He warned that stricter local-content requirements could allow politically connected firms to capture contracts without stronger safeguards.
Of the $3.7 billion in subcontracting contracts declared by 167 major companies in 2025, $3.1 billion, or 83%, went to majority Congolese-owned companies, including $2.9 billion in the mining sector alone, according to Beleshayi.