On 29 April, KoBold Metals and ZCCM-IH officially broke ground on the planned shaft construction at the Mingomba copper mine in Chililabombwe, Zambia. The ceremony marked Mingomba’s transition from exploration into full mine development. Officiating at the ceremony was the President of the Republic of Zambia, Mr. President Hakainde Hichilema, the outgoing U.S. Ambassador Mr. Michael C. Gonzales, the Minister of Mines Hon. Paul C. Kabuswe, The Copperbelt Province Minister Hon. Elisha Mutambo, the Mayor of Chililabombwe, Lucky Sichone, and senior KoBold and ZCCM-IH leadership, including KoBold Global CEO Dr. Kurt House and KoBold Africa CEO Ms. Mfikeyi Makayi and ZCCM-IH Chairman Dr. Phesto Musonda.
The event marked the formal start of construction on what is set to become one of the most significant copper mines in the world. The investment is estimated at more than $2 billion, with targeted production of around 300,000 metric tonnes of copper annually and first output expected in the early 2030s.
For KoBold and ZCCM, this milestone is the culmination of years of work since starting the Mingomba project in late 2022. At the ceremony, KoBold Global CEO Dr. Kurt House invoked a Bemba proverb to capture the significance of the moment: Imiti ikula epanga — “the little trees become the forest.” What began as an exploration project, he said, is taking root as something that will grow into one of the greatest mines in the world.
That growth is already well underway. As KoBold Africa CEO Mfikeyi Makayi made clear at the ceremony: “We cannot afford to go slow. We must go fast, we shall go fast, and we will not take shortcuts.” Similar projects typically take more than 15 years to bring into production. Mingomba is moving on a very different timeline.
Mingomba represents the single largest private investment in Zambia’s history and a defining proof point for what KoBold’s AI-and-HI-driven model can achieve at scale. Even before formal construction began, KoBold had already contributed over $200 million to the Zambian economy through direct investment, local procurement, and community programmes. Those contributions will grow in the years ahead. With surging global demand for copper from electric vehicles, data centres, and clean energy, Mingomba is built for exactly this moment.
The saplings are in the ground. The forest is coming.
The speeches from the Groundbreaking ceremony are now available to watch on YouTube: