The DRC offers opportunities large and small. The DRC’s vast mining wealth attracts top mining companies from around the world. The DRC is home to globally significant deposits of hard-rock lithium. The mineral is considered critical to renewable energy technologies as a key component of batteries. It is estimated that global demand for lithium could increase up to 40-fold by 2040, driven by richer nations’ efforts to decarbonize their economies. Major lithium mines in the DRC include Manono, which holds approximately 6,640,000 tons of lithium - according to September 2022 estimates. Telecommunications is a largely privatized and growing industry.
Energy is another sector with huge potential for renewable energy, including hydropower and solar. The country has the potential to generate over 100,000 MW of hydropower, which is more than half of Africa’s total hydropower potential. Oil and gas discoveries in the east of the country give the DRC the second largest crude oil reserves in Central and Southern Africa. These reserves are mainly located in the four large lakes bordering Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, and Uganda. The DRC has proven reserves of 180 million barrels, although estimates of total oil reserves exceed 5 billion barrels. Currently, Congolese oil production is limited to the coastal basin, with offshore production of 25,000 barrels per day, all of which is exported.
The DRC has the highest agricultural potential in Africa, with one of the world’s most favorable climates for agriculture and fertile soils, the country has the potential to feed over 2 billion people with appropriate investment. There are many infrastructure construction opportunities for U.S. companies, with most projects structured as public-private partnerships. The need for transportation is creating a huge market for vehicles, boats, and engines.