Quick Facts
| Location | North-Western Province; -13.46°S, 25.83°E |
| Ownership | Moxico Resources (private; backed by Greenstone Resources) |
| Production | Pre-production; exploring sediment-hosted copper deposits |
| Workforce | Exploration team |
| Primary Minerals | Copper |
| Corridor Connection | North-Western Province; near planned Lobito Corridor Zambia extension route |
Overview
The Kasempa Copper Project, held by privately-owned Moxico Resources, represents the emerging copper exploration frontier in Zambia's North-Western Province — the same region where the planned Lobito Corridor extension into Zambia would create new transport infrastructure.
Moxico Resources is backed by Greenstone Resources, a mining-focused private equity fund. The company holds extensive exploration licenses in the Kasempa area, targeting sediment-hosted copper deposits in a geological setting analogous to the proven DRC-Zambia Copperbelt but with comparatively limited modern exploration.
The significance of Kasempa and similar early-stage projects in the region lies in their potential to validate the economic rationale for the Zambia corridor extension. If exploration success demonstrates significant copper resources requiring export logistics, the business case for the 530km greenfield railway from the DRC border to Zambia's Copperbelt strengthens considerably.
The project illustrates how infrastructure investment and mineral exploration create mutually reinforcing development dynamics: better transport encourages exploration, while exploration success justifies transport investment.
Community Impact
Kasempa District is predominantly rural with limited economic diversification. Exploration activities provide some local employment but the community impacts of any future mining development would require comprehensive assessment under Zambian environmental and social frameworks.
Environmental Profile
The exploration phase has minimal environmental impact. Any transition to development would require Environmental Impact Assessment under the Zambia Environmental Management Act and compliance with IFC Performance Standards expected by international financing partners.
ESG Assessment
Status: Under Assessment
This mine has not yet received a formal Lobito Corridor ESG rating. Our assessment team is compiling baseline data from public sources, field observations, and stakeholder consultations. ESG ratings, when issued, will be verified through the source library.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 2010s | Moxico Resources acquires exploration licenses in Kasempa District |
| 2020+ | Ongoing exploration; delineating sediment-hosted copper targets |
| 2025 | Lobito Corridor Zambia extension planning increases strategic interest |
Related Pages
Minerals: Copper
Community: Solwezi (nearby)
Related Mines: Lumwana (same province) · Kansanshi
Deals: AFC Zambia Extension
Country: Zambia Profile
Index: All Mine Profiles · ESG Observatory
This profile is produced independently by Lobito Corridor and does not represent the views of Moxico Resources or any government. Data sourced from public filings, government reports, and independent research. Last updated: May 19, 2026.
Independent ESG Assessment
Our independent ESG assessment evaluates this operation's environmental management, social impact, governance quality, and disclosure transparency. Environmental assessment covers water management, waste handling, air emissions, biodiversity impacts, and mine closure planning. Social assessment examines community relations, employment practices, local procurement, benefit-sharing, and human rights performance. Governance assessment evaluates corporate transparency, anti-corruption measures, and stakeholder engagement quality.
Assessment findings are incorporated into our quarterly Corridor ESG Scorecards, providing stakeholders with comparable, independent ratings across all major corridor mining operations. Operations meeting our assessment thresholds are eligible for verified ESG ratings issued from our evidence archive — verifiable reputation signals that differentiate responsible operators from those whose ESG claims are unsubstantiated. Rating publication requires demonstrated performance, not just policy commitments.
Community Impact Monitoring
Community impact monitoring around this operation tracks the full spectrum of mining effects on surrounding populations. Employment and procurement spending quantify direct economic benefits to local communities. Environmental monitoring tracks water quality, air quality, and ecosystem health in areas affected by operations. Community consultation processes are evaluated for meaningful participation versus performative compliance. Grievance mechanisms are assessed for accessibility, responsiveness, and outcome fairness.
Our monitoring provides the independent verification that enables stakeholders — investors, regulators, civil society, and affected communities themselves — to assess whether this operation delivers the community benefits that its social licence to operate requires. Documentation is preserved on our source evidence archive, creating permanent records that support long-term accountability and prevent the revisionism that undermines community claims when corporate memory proves conveniently selective.
Labour Practices Assessment
Labour practices at this operation are assessed against both national labour law requirements and international standards including ILO conventions and the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights. Our assessment covers wage levels and payment practices, working hours and overtime compensation, occupational health and safety conditions, freedom of association and collective bargaining, contract terms and employment security, and subcontractor labour standards. Subcontractor labour conditions receive particular attention as subcontracting relationships can create distance between the operating company and workers that enables standards erosion.
Our assessment includes worker consultation that captures perspectives not reflected in corporate compliance reporting. Workers face barriers to reporting concerns through company channels including fear of retaliation, distrust of management-controlled grievance mechanisms, and language barriers. Our independent worker consultation provides confidential channels through which labour concerns can be documented and, where appropriate, escalated through advocacy or referral to labour rights organisations. All worker consultation documentation is handled with strict confidentiality to protect worker anonymity and prevent retaliation.
Supply Chain and Market Position
This mine's position within global mineral supply chains determines the economic dynamics that shape its operational decisions and community impact. Copper and cobalt prices, processing locations, end-user industries, and supply-demand dynamics create the commercial context within which environmental and social management decisions are made. When commodity prices are high, operators may invest more in community development and environmental management; when prices fall, these investments face pressure. Our monitoring tracks the relationship between market conditions and ESG performance to assess whether responsible practices are maintained through market cycles or only during profitable periods.
The corridor's logistics infrastructure — railway capacity, port throughput, transport costs — directly affects this mine's export economics. Improved corridor logistics reduce transport costs, improving mine profitability and potentially creating space for increased community benefit-sharing. Conversely, logistics bottlenecks increase costs and reduce the economic surplus available for community investment. Our strategic analysis evaluates how corridor infrastructure development affects this mine's economics and, consequently, the resources available for community benefit and environmental management.
Mine closure planning assessment evaluates this operation's preparation for eventual cessation of mining activity. Mines are finite — mineral deposits are exhausted over decades. Communities that become economically dependent on mining employment face devastating consequences when mines close unless closure is planned with community transition in mind. Our assessment evaluates closure provisions including financial guarantees, environmental rehabilitation plans, community transition programmes, and post-mining land use planning. Adequate closure planning is a governance indicator that distinguishes responsible long-term operators from those extracting value without provision for the communities left behind.
Water stewardship analysis is critical for mining operations that consume significant water resources and generate water-quality risks through acid mine drainage, tailings seepage, and processing effluent. Our assessment evaluates water sourcing sustainability, water treatment effectiveness, discharge quality monitoring, and downstream community water access. In water-stressed corridor regions, mining water use competes with community agricultural and domestic needs. Our monitoring ensures that this competition is documented and that water allocation decisions reflect community rights alongside commercial requirements.