President John Mahama is listed among confirmed guests at a pan-African mining forum in Kinshasa in November, organisers say, as producers push to process more minerals at home.
Makutano Mining will run from 22 to 25 November 2026 under the patronage of Democratic Republic of Congo President Félix Tshisekedi. The Makutano Network, a Congolese business forum founded in 2015, says it will bring together government officials, mining companies, banks, development lenders and energy firms to discuss how more minerals can be processed on the continent and how local suppliers can grow. The organisers named Mahama and Tshisekedi first on their list of confirmed participants.
For Ghana, the discussion goes to a live question. As Africa’s leading gold producer, Ghana faces the same pressure as Congo to capture more value from its minerals through refining, local supply contracts and jobs, rather than exporting raw ore.
Congo’s weight in the market gives the forum its pull. The organisers, citing United States Geological Survey data, say the country produced about 73% of the world’s mined cobalt in 2025 and is the second-largest copper producer, both metals central to batteries and power grids.
“Africa holds the resources, but not yet the rules of the game,” said Nicole Sulu, founder of the Makutano Network, which has held 11 business forums since 2015.
Deal room and signings
The programme includes closed-door sessions between officials, Congolese companies and mining executives, followed by panels on mining taxation and revenue sharing, transport corridors, power supply, environmental and governance standards, artisanal mining, skills and women in the industry. A deal room will host private negotiations on projects, with a session set aside for announcing agreements reached.
Other confirmed speakers include Congo’s Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba, Glencore DRC chief executive Marie-Chantal Kaninda and Sicomines chief executive Li Sheng, according to the organisers. They expect representatives of the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, Africa Finance Corporation, Rio Tinto and ERG.
The forum comes as Kinshasa reshapes its mining rules. Congo is preparing a one-stop agency for major mining investments as part of reforms tied to its minerals partnership with the United States, Reuters reported on 22 September.
