As part of its strategy to formalise and develop the artisanal mining sector, the Congolese government is launching an ambitious pilot scheme aimed at professionalising the production and export of artisanal gold from the east of the country. Dubbed GoldConnect, this project is based on a close partnership between the state and a Canadian investor, with a focus on digital technologies to ensure traceability, transparency and local value creation.
Led by Canadian entrepreneur Alain Lemieux through his company Phoenix Capital BV, the GoldConnect project is trialling an innovative production and export model. This model relies on the extensive use of digital solutions, from blockchain to real-time traceability, to combat fraud, illicit financing and revenue losses for the state. This initiative forms part of the national AXIS programme, coordinated by the Social Fund of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FSRDC) and supervised by the Support and Supervision Service for Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining
A three-month pilot project is set to begin in June 2026. It will involve gold miners and around 20 cooperatives in Haut-Uélé province, in the north-east of the country. This experimental phase will enable the entire supply chain to be tested in the field: the organisation of cooperatives, site security, purchasing at prices that are more profitable for miners, potential refining and formal export. The aim is to transform a sector that is often informal into a structured, ethical industry that generates sustainable income for local communities.
For the Congolese authorities, this project represents a strategic lever for regaining control of the artisanal gold sector, which remains largely beyond the state’s control despite its considerable economic significance. By formalising the supply chains, Kinshasa hopes to increase tax revenue, improve working conditions for artisanal miners and reduce the risk of conflict linked to illegal mining in a sensitive region. The use of digital technologies should also facilitate ‘responsible gold’ certification, a criterion increasingly demanded by international markets.
The partnership with Phoenix Capital and Canadian investor Alain Lemieux is part of an innovative public-private collaboration. It follows the signing of broader framework agreements, some of which provide for significant funding to help set up cooperatives. If the pilot proves successful, GoldConnect could be extended to several hundred cooperatives in the eastern gold-producing provinces, thereby contributing to the national objective of formalising the artisanal sector.
This initiative comes at a time when the DRC is seeking to maximise the value added from its natural resources whilst meeting international standards on transparency and sustainability. The initial results of the pilot project will be closely monitored by stakeholders in the mining sector and development partners. They could mark a significant step towards a more sovereign and inclusive approach to artisanal gold mining in the DRC.
