Kemcore to Build Botswana, Angola Plants to Cut Africa’s Chemical Import Dependence
$103m investment targets local production of critical mining chemicals amid global supply disruptions
Kemcore, a chemical trading and manufacturing company focused on Africa, is planning to expand its footprint by constructing new processing plants in Botswana and Angola. The strategic move aims to reduce geopolitical risks associated with importing critical chemicals from China and the Middle East.
While Africa is a leading global supplier of critical minerals such as cobalt, copper, and gold, the continent remains heavily reliant on imported chemical inputs required for metal extraction. Essential chemicals like sulfuric acid and sodium metabisulfite (SMBS) are typically sourced from the Middle East and shipped via Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam.
However, since the onset of the conflict in Iran, supply chains have faced significant disruptions, exposing the vulnerability of Africa’s mining value chain to external geopolitical risks.
Kemcore’s founder and commercial officer, Calisto Radithipa, told Reuters that the company plans to establish a processing plant in Botswana to serve copper and cobalt producers in Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
According to Reuters, the plant is expected to be operational by mid-2027. It will produce sodium metabisulfite (SMBS), sodium hydrosulfide, and flotation collectors such as xanthates, key chemicals used in the processing of copper and cobalt ores.
Initial production capacity is projected at 57,500 tons annually from 2027, with output expected to scale up to approximately 250,000 tons by 2032. At full capacity, the plant could supply around 25% of Africa’s demand for these chemicals.
Kemcore CEO, Godfrey Johnson, expressed confidence in the project, citing strong investor backing and growing interest from international agencies. The development is estimated to cost $103 million.
“Africa cannot keep exporting raw materials while importing the products needed to process them,” he told the publication. “The technology exists, the customers exist, and the raw materials are here.”
