In a significant development for African mineral markets and United States strategic policy, African Discovery Group, Inc. (AFDG) has signed a term sheet to acquire Société Grabin Mining SAS, the holder of the Butembo Copper Exploration Licence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The transaction, announced in New York and reported via PRNewswire on 6 October 2025, signals the company’s ambition to establish a copper enterprise capable of long-term value creation across Africa.
This move comes as the United States government formally added copper to its draft list of strategic minerals on 27 August 2025 — a development underscoring copper’s critical role in the global energy transition. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global copper demand is projected to double from 25 million to 50 million metric tonnes per year by 2035, as the world accelerates electrification through electric vehicles, renewable energy infrastructure and digital technologies.
Daniel Yergin, vice chairman of S&P Global and an energy historian, described copper as “the linchpin of the energy transition,” noting that it underpins all forms of electrification. His observation reflects a growing understanding that access to copper resources will shape the balance of economic power in the coming decades.
The proposed AFDG transaction would make the combined entity the first Congolese company publicly traded in the United States, following a planned rebranding, change of domicile, and an intended uplisting to the NASDAQ exchange, pending regulatory approval. AFDG’s existing shareholders are expected to retain a minority position in the restructured firm.
The acquisition aligns with a deepening strategic engagement between the United States and the Democratic Republic of Congo. The USA–DRC Economic Forum, scheduled for October in Washington DC, builds on renewed commitments made by U.S. President Donald Trump and DRC President Félix Tshisekedi during their August 2025 investment summit in Washington. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senior Advisor for Africa Massad Boulos have both highlighted the importance of fostering American private investment in DRC’s mining sector, linking it to stability and prosperity for both nations.
The DRC’s mineral potential remains globally significant. According to S&P Global Market Intelligence, the country accounted for 65% of newly announced global copper reserves in 2023. Major global mining firms such as Ivanhoe Mines, Glencore, and KoBold Metals — the latter backed by investors including Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates — have reinforced the country’s central role in global copper production. The World Bank estimates the DRC’s untapped mineral wealth at approximately US$24 trillion.
AFDG’s post-acquisition management will be led by Andrew Groves, a seasoned mining executive known for his billion-dollar exits in Africa’s resources sector. His record includes founding CAMEC PLC (sold to ENRC for US$1 billion), African Platinum PLC (sold to Impala Platinum for US$900 million), and Central African Gold (sold to New Dawn for US$300 million). Aldo Cesano, a mining veteran with over four decades of experience across Central and Southern Africa, is expected to join the company’s Board of Directors.
The transaction is structured as a stock-based acquisition, with completion anticipated in the fourth quarter of 2025, subject to due diligence and financing. EAS Advisors LLC will act as corporate advisor to the company throughout the process.
While much of the DRC’s copper production has historically concentrated in the Katanga Province, the Butembo acquisition represents a shift towards the underexplored eastern basin of the country. Infrastructure remains a critical enabler for this transition. The Toha and Bulongo Logistics Consortium has announced plans to begin work on the Kisangani–Bukavu route via Lubutu later this year, leveraging proceeds from the Kolwezi–Solwezi toll road project — 60% of which will be directed toward the new corridor’s construction.
The logistics effort draws on pre-independence plans by Belgian authorities to link the eastern DRC to export routes through Goma, Bukavu, and Bunia, plans which were shelved following the independence of Zaire. The renewed infrastructure focus represents a modern reimagining of that ambition, centred on African agency and intra-African development rather than external dependency.
AFDG Chairman and Founder Alan Kessler, who will retain a board position post-transaction, described the move as “a confluence of global dynamics — from energy transition to AI-driven infrastructure growth — intersecting with Africa’s emergence as a vital player in the new industrial age.”
The transaction and the evolving U.S.–DRC mineral partnership reveal more than commercial intent; they highlight a reshaping of Africa’s role in global economic systems. As the continent’s resource potential is increasingly reframed in terms of partnership, equity and shared prosperity, the challenge remains ensuring that such investments reinforce local value creation and long-term sustainability.
