Kinshasa, July 2nd, 2025 (CPA) – Investments by the Kibali gold mine, located in Watsa, a territory in the Haut-Uélé province in the northeast of the Democratic Republic of Congo, have exceeded USD 6 billion, announced the CEO of Barrick Gold, Kibali’s parent company, at a press conference on Wednesday in Kinshasa. « Kibali continues to contribute significantly to the Congolese economy, with investments in the country now exceeding US$6.3 billion, of which US$3.1 billion has been paid to local contractors and partners. The mine remains the main driver of the economy in the north-eastern region of the DRC, covering the provinces of Haut-Uélé and Ituri, » said Marc Bristow, CEO of Kibali Gold. He noted that the satellite quarries at Kalimva, Ikamva and Ndala are operated under contract with local companies, demonstrating Kibali’s strong commitment to local content development. More than 700 Congolese companies benefit from procurement and capacity-building initiatives, and all tenders are published jointly by the mine and the Regulatory Authority for Subcontracting in the Private Sector in the DRC (ARSP), in accordance with best practices in transparency. ‘Kibali is much more than a mine. It is a partnership that cements the regional economy. Led by Congolese, supplied by Congolese and built to last, it embodies the model of the local economy. We are proud of the model we have created here, a model that offers added value at every stage of the process,’ said Mr Bristow. He said the underground mine is expected to benefit from high long-term profitability and optimized performance thanks to improvements in current operations, which will focus on material productivity gains from the third quarter onwards. In addition, the commissioning of the 16MW solar power plant equipped with an integrated battery energy storage system (BESS) has been completed, increasing renewable energy use to 85%. The site thus operates on 100% renewable energy for six months of the year, he said.
Kibali, Africa’s greenest gold mine
From left, Barrick CEO Mark Bristol and DRC Country Manager Cyrille Mutombo
In addition, CEO Mark Bristol revealed that the Kibali gold mine is the largest and greenest in Africa and is growing rapidly.
He explained that drilling results from the ARK-KCD corridor continue to increase confidence in the size and sustainability of the target, demonstrating its potential to contain significant additional deposits and extend the life of Barrick’s Kibali mine, Africa’s largest and greenest gold mine. » Work within the ARK-KCD mineralisation system reveals a well-defined geological structure – with mineralization extending into Kibali’s reserves within the current footprint, » he explained. « Built with a long-term vision, Kibali consistently demonstrates this approach through its results in production, partnerships and reserve growth. Since Kibali poured its first gold bar in 2013, we have replaced every ounce mined and then some, and the ARK-KCD corridor shows that there is still much more to come, » he said.
Biodiversity conservation
CEO Bristol said that biodiversity conservation also remains central to Barrick’s sustainable development strategy.
Preparatory work is underway in collaboration with the Congolese Institute for Nature Conservation (ICCN) and African Parks (AP) to introduce 64 additional white rhinos into Garamba National Park by the end of the year. ‘This project follows the successful reintroduction of 16 rhinos in 2023 and is part of a long-term partnership to restore biodiversity in the region,’ he added. He noted that leadership and capacity-building training continues at the Barrick Academy, with 170 Kibali employees receiving training during the second quarter. This is yet another tangible investment in the career advancement of Congolese mining professionals. On the community front, Mark Bristol revealed that 41 of the 44 projects under the 0.3% community development endowment have been completed, providing essential support in infrastructure, education and healthcare. At the same time, the implementation of the specifications is progressing well, with $4.8 million invested to date. « Kibali is the model for our sustainable growth in the DRC. Built on solid technical, social and environmental foundations, it reflects our long-term vision. The experience and lessons learned here, in one of the most challenging mining environments in the world, will guide us as we expand our portfolio in the country to include not only gold projects, but also copper projects, » concluded MARK Bristow.