Angola to Launch First Gold Refinery by End of 2025 as Government Expands Mineral Value Addition Strategy
Angola is expected to inaugurate its first gold refinery before the end of the year, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to increase local mineral processing and create greater value from its natural resources.
The announcement was made by Minister of Mineral Resources, Petroleum and Gas Diamantino Azevedo during the opening of the Angola Oil, Gas and Mining Investment Conference in London on Thursday.
The refinery, financed by Endiama and located in the Viana Industrial Park, will have the capacity to process up to 25 kilograms of gold per day.
The project, first announced in 2022, experienced several delays before reaching the final stages of completion.
“Our goal is not simply extraction; it is transformation,” Azevedo said, highlighting Angola’s broader strategy to develop downstream industries and retain more value from its mineral wealth.
The minister noted that Angola has already expanded its diamond cutting and polishing industry from a single factory in 2017 to 10 operational facilities today.
He also revealed that an industrial park dedicated to ornamental stones is currently under development.
According to Azevedo, Angola’s long-term industrial vision includes transforming iron ore into steel, converting natural gas into fertilizers, expanding diamond cutting and jewelry manufacturing, and developing mineral processing industries capable of supporting integrated value chains within the country.
The conference brought together investors, industry executives, and government officials, including representatives from Sonangol, Endiama, SODIAM, the National Mineral Resources Agency (ANRM), the National Oil, Gas and Biofuels Agency (ANPG), and the Geological Institute of Angola (IGEO).
Azevedo emphasized that Angola is diversifying its mining sector beyond diamonds. In addition to being one of the world’s leading diamond producers, the country currently produces gold, manganese, quartz, ornamental stones, and pig iron, while copper production resumed last year.
He added that projects involving niobium and rare earth elements are advancing, with production expected to begin soon.
Angola’s reserves of lithium, phosphates, and other strategic minerals are also positioning the country to participate in global value chains linked to electric vehicles, advanced manufacturing, renewable energy technologies, and digital infrastructure.
During his visit to London, Azevedo also participated in the Africa Energy Summit and met with executives from BP, which operates in Angola through Azule Energy. Among the company’s major investments is the approximately $5 billion Project Paz oil development in Block 31.
