Likasi 路 Haut-Katanga, DR Congo
Copper depot visits and seller checks in Likasi
Likasi sits between Lubumbashi and Kolwezi, and many concentrate and ore offers start at a depot or plant here or in nearby Kambove. Our field partner can visit the depot ($450) or check the company and its titles ($149), and send back GPS-stamped photos and a written report.
You pay Copper Supply. Full refund if the check can't be done. ID-checked members only (free, a few minutes).
Why Likasi matters
Likasi is a mining and processing town in Haut-Katanga, about 120 km north-west of Lubumbashi on the road to Kolwezi. Nearby Kambove is another old mining centre. Plants, depots and buying houses here handle a lot of copper ore and concentrate, much of it from smaller and artisanal producers, and trucks from Kolwezi pass through on the way south.
Because so much material changes hands here in small lots, offers that start in Likasi are where grade and quantity most often don't match the paperwork.
What our partner checks in Likasi
- The depot or plant. Is the material at the place named, in bags or in bulk, and roughly in the quantity claimed?
- Who holds it. Is the seller the owner, or a broker for someone else? Our partner asks the seller and the depot separately where they can.
- The company. Trade register (RCCM), mining or trading authorisation, and whether the registered address is real.
Warning signs we see in Likasi offers
- A "31% concentrate" lot that turns out to be low-grade ore or waste once someone looks at it.
- Bags already loaded on trucks, with pressure to pay before anyone can sample.
- A seller who changes the depot location the day before the visit.
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
Do you cover Kambove and other towns near Likasi?
Yes. Site visits cover Haut-Katanga and Lualaba, including Likasi, Kambove, Lubumbashi, Kolwezi, Kipushi, Kasumbalesa and Sakania. Elsewhere in the DRC, email sales@copper.supply first.
Can you tell me the grade of a concentrate lot?
No: a field check doesn't sample or assay. It tells you whether the material is there, what it looks like, and who controls it. For the grade, appoint an inspection company to sample.
How much does it cost?
US$450 for a site visit, US$149 for a company check, paid to Copper Supply and refunded if the check can't be done.
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.