Kolwezi 路 Lualaba, DR Congo
Copper site visits and seller checks in Kolwezi
Kolwezi is where DRC copper is mined. If an offer says the cathode or concentrate comes from a mine, a plant or a depot around Kolwezi, our field partner can go and see it: $450 for a site visit with GPS-stamped photos and a report, $149 for a check of the company and its mining titles.
You pay Copper Supply. Full refund if the check can't be done. ID-checked members only (free, a few minutes).
Why Kolwezi matters
Kolwezi is the capital of Lualaba province and the heart of DRC copper and cobalt mining. Some of the largest mines in Africa are around the town, including Kamoto and, about 25 km to the west, Kamoa-Kakula, alongside processing plants, depots and thousands of artisanal miners. It's around 300 km by road north-west of Lubumbashi, and most of its copper is trucked through Likasi and Lubumbashi to the Zambian border, or west towards the Lobito corridor.
Offers from Kolwezi often claim to come "direct from the mine" or from a plant under a "tolling agreement". Big producers sell under long-term contracts, so a spot offer naming a well-known mine needs checking before anything else.
What our partner checks around Kolwezi
- The site. Is there a plant, depot or yard at the place named? Is the material there, in the quantity and form described: cathode bundles, concentrate in bags or in bulk?
- The right to sell. Does the seller hold a mining title, a trading authorisation or a contract with the producer? Mining titles are checked with the mining cadastre (CAMI).
- The paper trail. Does what's on site match the documents you were sent: lot numbers, bag markings, truck plates?
Warning signs we see in Kolwezi offers
- "Allocation letters" or "tolling agreements" in the name of a large mine or plant that the plant won't confirm.
- Concentrate offered at a grade far above what the depot can show.
- A seller who insists on their own XRF or their own sampler, and won't let anyone else near the material.
- Pressure to pay "transport" or "export fees" before the goods leave.
How a field check works
- You order on Copper Supply and pay Copper Supply. Only members whose ID has been checked can order, so nobody can send our partner somewhere anonymously.
- Our field partner in Lubumbashi contacts the seller as "the Copper Supply field partner". Your name, your price and your deal are never shared.
- You follow every step in the job: seller contacted, visit booked, on the way, and a GPS check-in when they arrive.
- You get dated photos stamped with the GPS position, short videos and a written report, usually within 3 to 5 working days.
A field check reports what was seen on the day. It isn't an inspection: there's no sampling, assay, weighing or certificate. For any lot you pay for, appoint an inspection company too.
Questions people ask
Can you check a mine or a plant near Kolwezi?
Our partner can visit a depot, yard or plant where the seller says the material is, if the seller arranges access, and report what they see. Large mines control their own sites, so a seller who can't get a visitor in is a finding in itself.
Can you check a mining licence?
Yes. The company check (US$149) includes looking the company's mining titles up with the mining cadastre (CAMI), its trade registration (RCCM), and a visit to its registered address.
How much is a site visit around Kolwezi?
US$450 for one site in Lualaba or Haut-Katanga, travel included. You pay Copper Supply; you're refunded if the visit can't happen.
Do you test the grade?
No. A field check reports what was seen; it doesn't sample, assay or weigh. Use an inspection company for grade and weight.
Check it before you pay for it
A field check tells you the cargo is there. An expert document review tells you the papers are right. Use both before any money moves.