“Looking ahead, the project pipeline tells an encouraging story… Finance is flowing, unlocking projects from the study phase and moving them into execution.”
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What role does the African market play today in DRA’s broader global growth strategy?
Africa has remained at the core of our identity. Today we maintain a leading market presence on the continent through all three of our brands: DRA, our main project delivery house, SENET, a niche copper/gold project delivery business, and Minopex, our operations and maintenance arm.
How would you characterize your current pipeline in Africa?
Not surprisingly, gold and copper dominate the project landscape, particularly among the larger projects of tier-one and tier-two mining clients. Our most significant copper project remains the Kamoa-Kakula complex, where we have successfully delivered all three phases of concentrator construction, associated infrastructure and a significant portion of the underground mining scope.
On the bulk commodities side, activity has been relatively quiet, with iron ore and manganese as the notable exceptions. Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) have cooled somewhat, with Platreef standing out as the only major greenfield project currently in execution. Meanwhile, rare earths are emerging as one of the more dynamic and exciting sectors for project and engineering companies where no two projects are alike.
Looking ahead, the project pipeline tells an encouraging story. Many projects experienced delays at the study and funding phase last year, largely a consequence of geopolitical factors, but I believe 2026 will be a ‘build” year. Finance is flowing, unlocking projects from the study phase and moving them into execution.
What are some of the biggest challenges for EPCMs in Africa today?
Security remains a top priority, especially in sensitive locations like Mali, the Ethiopian–Sudanese border, or Eastern DRC, where conditions need to be monitored closely.
Infrastructure limitations, including restricted logistics and power access, demand constant innovation and adaptability. At the same time, developing local skills is crucial to sustainable success. Our strategy focusses on building strong local capacity, with proven examples in Ghana, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe where we have established offices and local teams.
How does DRA apply its fit-for-ore approach across this spectrum, from replicable flowsheet design to POx/BOx-based bespoke solutions?
Kamoa offers a good starting point. The challenge at this world-class operation was not the flowsheet; this is an exceptional, high-grade orebody with a fairly straightforward processing route. The real test was the disciplined execution of three ramp-up phases, delivered on time and on budget. Today, Kamoa stands as the third-largest copper-producing complex in the world, and the entire execution strategy was built on the repeatability of a proven model.
As ore bodies become more complex, however, the metallurgy inevitably becomes the differentiator. This has long been true for polymetallic projects, where we have established a strong track record of designing concentrators that maximize recoveries across multiple commodities.
In gold, we are also seeing increasing interest in more challenging, often refractory deposits. These require pre-treatment technologies such as pressure oxidation (POx) or biological oxidation (BOx) to unlock the gold efficiently.
Nowhere is this complexity more pronounced than in the REE space, where flowsheet design and engineering takes on a new dimension. Here, the task may involve liberating five or six separate products, many of which may not have been produced at industrial scale outside of China.
How has transitioning back to private ownership re-positioned DRA Global?
We realized that the complexity and administrative burden of remaining listed no longer aligned with our strategic priorities. With no immediate need to raise capital, remaining listed introduced unnecessary workflows that diverted time away from what matters to us – delivering great projects and operations for our clients.
What does that future look like from your perspective?
The industry faces greater sustainability pressures, orebodies are more difficult to mine and process and we all have a duty to do so in a sustainable way that fosters inclusive and equitable engagement with communities.
Technology advancement will play a critical role in solving some of challenges facing the mining industry. Much of our investment is focussed on technology and systems – toolkits that empower engineers to work smarter. We are only at the beginning, but I believe AI adoption and automation will accelerate rapidly, and engineering is one of the sectors with immense application potential.
What role does the African market play today in DRA’s broader global growth strategy?
Africa has remained at the core of our identity. Today we maintain a leading market presence on the continent through all three of our brands: DRA, our main project delivery house, SENET, a niche copper/gold project delivery business, and Minopex, our operations and maintenance arm.
How would you characterize your current pipeline in Africa?
Not surprisingly, gold and copper dominate the project landscape, particularly among the larger projects of tier-one and tier-two mining clients. Our most significant copper project remains the Kamoa-Kakula complex, where we have successfully delivered all three phases of concentrator construction, associated infrastructure and a significant portion of the underground mining scope.
On the bulk commodities side, activity has been relatively quiet, with iron ore and manganese as the notable exceptions. Platinum Group Metals (PGMs) have cooled somewhat, with Platreef standing out as the only major greenfield project currently in execution. Meanwhile, rare earths are emerging as one of the more dynamic and exciting sectors for project and engineering companies where no two projects are alike.
Looking ahead, the project pipeline tells an encouraging story. Many projects experienced delays at the study and funding phase last year, largely a consequence of geopolitical factors, but I believe 2026 will be a ‘build” year. Finance is flowing, unlocking projects from the study phase and moving them into execution.
What are some of the biggest challenges for EPCMs in Africa today?
Security remains a top priority, especially in sensitive locations like Mali, the Ethiopian–Sudanese border, or Eastern DRC, where conditions need to be monitored closely.
Infrastructure limitations, including restricted logistics and power access, demand constant innovation and adaptability. At the same time, developing local skills is crucial to sustainable success. Our strategy focusses on building strong local capacity, with proven examples in Ghana, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe where we have established offices and local teams.
How does DRA apply its fit-for-ore approach across this spectrum, from replicable flowsheet design to POx/BOx-based bespoke solutions?
Kamoa offers a good starting point. The challenge at this world-class operation was not the flowsheet; this is an exceptional, high-grade orebody with a fairly straightforward processing route. The real test was the disciplined execution of three ramp-up phases, delivered on time and on budget. Today, Kamoa stands as the third-largest copper-producing complex in the world, and the entire execution strategy was built on the repeatability of a proven model.
As ore bodies become more complex, however, the metallurgy inevitably becomes the differentiator. This has long been true for polymetallic projects, where we have established a strong track record of designing concentrators that maximize recoveries across multiple commodities.
In gold, we are also seeing increasing interest in more challenging, often refractory deposits. These require pre-treatment technologies such as pressure oxidation (POx) or biological oxidation (BOx) to unlock the gold efficiently.
Nowhere is this complexity more pronounced than in the REE space, where flowsheet design and engineering takes on a new dimension. Here, the task may involve liberating five or six separate products, many of which may not have been produced at industrial scale outside of China.
How has transitioning back to private ownership re-positioned DRA Global?
We realized that the complexity and administrative burden of remaining listed no longer aligned with our strategic priorities. With no immediate need to raise capital, remaining listed introduced unnecessary workflows that diverted time away from what matters to us – delivering great projects and operations for our clients.
What does that future look like from your perspective?
The industry faces greater sustainability pressures, orebodies are more difficult to mine and process and we all have a duty to do so in a sustainable way that fosters inclusive and equitable engagement with communities.
Technology advancement will play a critical role in solving some of challenges facing the mining industry. Much of our investment is focussed on technology and systems – toolkits that empower engineers to work smarter. We are only at the beginning, but I believe AI adoption and automation will accelerate rapidly, and engineering is one of the sectors with immense application potential.
