SRK Consulting, a mining consulting firm, has gone ahead and opened an office in Kitwe, the heart of the Copperbelt, which is located in Southern Africa.
The government has promised to support the mining industry in Zambia again, which is why this development is taking place.
Des Mossop, who is a partner and principal engineering geologist at SRK Consulting – South Africa, said that there are many chances for growth mining industry in Zambia. According to it, “Zambia is a great place for exploration and mining companies to invest because it has a new mining cadastre and more than half of the surface of the country has not been explored.”
Mossop said that SRK has been working as a consultant in Zambia for a long time now and thinks that presently is the best time to make their presence in the country even stronger and, of course, more visible. The Zambian government has said that it wants to increase refined copper production from 900,000 tonnes to three million tonnes per year by 2032. This decision happens to be in response to the planned rapid increase in copper production as well as the rise in exploration projects pertaining to gold, iron ore, lithium, nickel, and cobalt, as well as other minerals.
Also, both American and Chinese investments in transportation corridors happen to be making it easier for the country to export minerals from southern and central Africa. The government is also working to make the power supply much more reliable and, at the same time, build more infrastructure so that the economy can grow even more.
According to Able Tunono, the Zambian geotechnical engineer who will lead the practice, “Establishing an SRK Consulting office in Kitwe enables us to work more closely with our clients and respond more effectively to their needs. This new base is close to Zambia’s center of copper mining and also in close proximity to operations in the DRC.”
Tunono said that the company perceives mining expanding beyond the current Copperbelt into fresh areas, such as the North-Western province of the country, which can be reached from Kitwe. It is well to be noted that SRK works in more than just mining. It also works in water and energy as well as infrastructure, which means that it can use all of its skills to meet the needs of clients right from exploration to mine closure.
Paul Aucamp, a partner and principal engineering geologist at SRK Consulting – South Africa, opines that the work of the geotechnical, civil, water, as well as foundation engineering teams at SRK is also important when it comes to mining.
Aucamp says, “One of the significant risks faced by new mining operations is geotechnical risks that may increase project initiation costs for heavy infrastructure and tailings dams. “Water is also both a danger and necessity for mining operations; our civil teams provide expertise in surface and underground water management, pumping, disaster management relating to flood and stormwater risks, and the provision of water for mine operations.”
Hennie Booyens, who is the principal engineering geologist at SRK Consulting – South Africa, says that due diligence along with compliance auditing is very important for companies that want to list on different stock exchanges or adhere to the Copper Mark and other global standards such as GISTM.
SRK Consulting is in a good position to meet the country’s needs when it comes to local employee representation in international companies because it runs its business as an employee-owned model. Tunono says that the country happens to have a strong mining history and that it has many highly trained engineers, geologists, and hydrologists, as well as other expert consultants.
He also talked about how valuable experience of SRK Consulting with ESG-related projects could be used in other areas.
Tunono says, “We plan to grow the practice with the assistance of local expertise to benefit Zambian communities, the local economy, and the natural environment. “We aim to work with clients to develop sustainable mining operations that support mine stakeholders and broader society.”
It is well to be noted that before the Zambian International Mining and Energy Conference – ZIMEC in 2026, SRK will hold a workshop on March 24, 2026, in the host town of Kitwe. This will be the beginning of SRK’s operations.