The DRC is widely considered the most resource-rich country in the world, with vast deposits of copper, cobalt, zinc, iron and uranium in the south, diamonds in the west and gold in the north. It also constitutes one of the riskiest regions in Africa, with widespread corruption, tattered infrastructure and conflicts between dozens of armed groups. For investors, the choice to enter the DRC is a high-risk, high-reward dilemma where feasibility constantly hangs in the balance. The long-term implications of the new mining code are yet to be realized, and the predicted consequences of a mounting Chinese presence in the mining sector are ambiguous. Yet, with the recent election of a new president and the formation of a coalition government, the worst turbulence might be in the country’s rearview — opening the door for exploration and the expansion of existing projects. The price of cobalt, which has suffered a six-month downturn, is also expected to pick up in 2019 while new technologies contribute to safer, more sustainable and cost-efficient operations. In our special country report on the DRC, we provide a first-hand account of the country’s investor climate based on interviews with top-level executives, organizations and government officials.