The multi-billion-dollar electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing […]

The multi-billion-dollar electric vehicle (EV) battery manufacturing initiative between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), once hailed as Africa’s green industrial frontier, appears to have stalled years after its landmark 2022 announcement.

 What was initially promised as a transformative leap from raw mineral extraction to advanced battery production has largely remained a vision, with no largescale, fully operational manufacturing plants completed to date.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Zambian Business Times – ZBT, BICA Group – Business and Investment Consultants in Africa explained that the initiative has transitioned from a headline-grabbing announcement into a complex, and often uncertain, long-term development process. Bica Group Managing Partner, Howard Mwape revealed that the billion-dollar vision has not collapsed, but it has not yet been realized at scale.

 “The original 2022 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was fundamentally limited because it was non-binding and lacked the guaranteed financing or enforceable timelines required to attract major global players,” said Mwape.

 However, he added that the project had recorded incremental progress, including the formation of the Zambia-DRC Battery Council and initial policy alignments intended to harmonize cross-border industrialization. Mwape told ZBT that the primary failure was not the idea itself, but the lack of execution discipline and the absence of bankable agreements that investors require to commit capital.

He argued that both nations bypassed essential foundational steps, such as establishing largescale cobalt and copper refining capacity, before prematurely announcing the final phase of battery assembly. Meanwhile, the Managing Partner pointed out that industrialization must follow infrastructure development, noting that current gaps in energy reliability and transport corridors are major bottlenecks that the initiative failed to address at the outset.

 “Industrialization follows infrastructure and not the other way around and that is why the flagship plants have yet to materialize,” said Mwape. He further suggested that the project’s complexity was exacerbated by intense geopolitical competition, as established global players, particularly China, continue to dominate the existing mineral supply chains. “The window of opportunity is not unlimited, as global competition for critical minerals is accelerating rapidly,” said Mwape.

 He recommended that Zambia and the DRC move urgently to establish a dedicated, empowered Joint Industrial Development Authority to provide the institutional clarity needed to eliminate bureaucratic delays.

Mwape added that the governments must shift from policy declarations to securing anchor investors through competitive incentives and risk-sharing public-private partnerships.

 He told ZBT that while the dream is currently unrealized, it remains a vital strategic asset that can only succeed if the two nations prioritize structured implementation over ambitious political rhetoric.

Article by Tyndale Muchiya