Company: Kibali Gold Mine
Country: DR Congo
Sector: Mining
CEO: Mark Bristow (President & CEO, Barrick Gold, operator)
Website: https://www.barrick.com
Careers Page: Not publicly listed
LinkedIn: Not publicly listed
Email: Not publicly listed
Headquarters: Haut-Uélé Province, Democratic Republic of Congo
Founded: Commissioned 2013
Valuation/Revenue: $1,440m revenue (African Business Top 250, 2025)
Kibali Gold Mine is one of Africa’s largest gold mines, located in the Haut-Uélé Province of northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Unlike most entries in this database, Kibali is not a standalone company but a joint-venture mining operation, managed by Barrick Gold and jointly owned with AngloGold Ashanti and the DRC state mining company SOKIMO.
What Is Kibali Gold Mine?
Kibali is a large-scale underground and open-pit gold mining operation roughly 220 kilometres east of Isiro in the DRC’s Haut-Uélé Province, near the country’s border region with Uganda and South Sudan. Gold was first discovered in the area in 1903, but the modern industrial mine was developed over the 2000s and commissioned in September 2013 after an estimated $1.7 billion in development capital. Kibali includes both underground mining and open-pit operations feeding a large processing plant, and it also operates hydroelectric power stations that supply the mine and surrounding grid — an unusual feature that reduces reliance on diesel generation in a remote part of the DRC with limited existing infrastructure.
Who Owns and Operates Kibali Gold Mine?
Kibali is a three-way joint venture: Barrick Gold and AngloGold Ashanti each hold 45%, with the remaining 10% held by SOKIMO (Société Minière de Kilo-Moto), the DRC’s state-owned mining company. Barrick Gold acts as the operator and manages day-to-day operations, meaning Kibali does not have an independent CEO of its own — it is run under Barrick’s operational management structure, with Barrick’s group president and CEO, Mark Bristow (previously CEO of Randgold Resources before its 2019 merger with Barrick), overseeing the group’s African and broader global portfolio, which includes Kibali as one of its flagship assets.
How Big Is Kibali Gold Mine?
Kibali is consistently one of Africa’s largest single gold mines by production. In 2019 it produced 814,000 ounces of gold, exceeding the roughly 600,000 ounces per year originally projected for its first twelve years of operation, and as of December 2018 it held proven and probable gold reserves of approximately 8.3 million ounces. African Business magazine’s Top 250 companies in Africa for 2025 lists Kibali’s revenue at approximately $1.44 billion, reflecting the mine’s output at prevailing gold prices, which have risen substantially in recent years amid strong global demand for gold as a safe-haven asset. The mine was originally expected to operate for around 18 years from its 2013 commissioning, implying a mine life extending toward the early 2030s, though further exploration and reserve additions could extend this.
Is Kibali Gold Mine Legit and Still Operating?
Yes. Kibali is a fully operational, industrial-scale mine run by two of the world’s largest gold miners (Barrick Gold and AngloGold Ashanti) in partnership with the DRC government’s mining arm. It is not a speculative or informal operation; it is one of the DRC’s most significant sources of formal-sector export revenue and foreign direct investment, and it operates under DRC mining code obligations that include local employment and community development commitments.
How Does Kibali Compare to Other African Gold Mines?
Kibali ranks alongside other major African gold operations such as Barrick’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex in Mali, AngloGold Ashanti’s Obuasi mine in Ghana, and Newmont’s Ahafo operations, also in Ghana, as one of the continent’s flagship large-scale gold assets. Its combination of underground and open-pit mining, on-site hydropower generation, and joint state ownership through SOKIMO is a somewhat distinctive operating model compared to some peer mines that rely more heavily on diesel power and wholly private ownership structures.
What Has Kibali Been in the News For Recently?
Gold mining in the DRC’s northeast has periodically intersected with broader regional security concerns given ongoing conflict dynamics in parts of eastern DRC, though Kibali’s location in Haut-Uélé has generally kept it removed from the most acute conflict zones further south and east. Rising global gold prices in recent years have increased the strategic and fiscal importance of Kibali’s output both to its joint venture partners and to the DRC government, which has periodically sought greater local beneficiation and revenue-sharing terms from major mining projects across the country’s mining code framework.
Links
Website: https://www.barrick.com
Careers Page: Not found
LinkedIn: Not found
Email: Not publicly listed
FAQ
Is Kibali Gold Mine a company or a mine?
It is a mine, not a standalone company — it is a joint venture operated by Barrick Gold and co-owned with AngloGold Ashanti and DRC state miner SOKIMO.
Who operates Kibali Gold Mine?
Barrick Gold is the operator, managing day-to-day operations on behalf of the joint venture.
Who owns Kibali Gold Mine?
Barrick Gold (45%), AngloGold Ashanti (45%) and SOKIMO, the DRC state mining company (10%).
Where is Kibali Gold Mine located?
In Haut-Uélé Province, northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, roughly 220km east of Isiro.
When did Kibali Gold Mine open?
It was commissioned in September 2013, though gold was first discovered in the area in 1903.
How much gold does Kibali produce?
Production has exceeded original projections, reaching 814,000 ounces in 2019, against reserves of roughly 8.3 million ounces as of end-2018.