What is the RCCM and what does it record?
The RCCM (Registre du Commerce et du Crédit Mobilier) is the trade and companies register used in the DR Congo, as in the other member states of OHADA, the organisation that harmonises business law in its member countries. Its rules come from the OHADA Uniform Act on General Commercial Law. Each company receives an RCCM number when it is registered, and the register is kept by the registry (greffe) of the competent commercial court, with registration made through the one-stop office for company formation.
A registered company also holds a national identification number (Id. Nat.) and a tax number (NIF). These numbers identify the company; none of them licenses it to mine or to trade in minerals.
What does an RCCM extract show?
An extract of the register (extrait du RCCM) usually shows the details below, in French.
| Field (French term) | What it tells the buyer |
|---|---|
| Company name (dénomination sociale) and RCCM number | Whether the company in the contract is the one registered |
| Legal form (SARL, SA, SAS) | The kind of company, and so who can act for it |
| Registered office (siège social) | Where the company is based; the city also appears in the RCCM number |
| Business purpose (objet social) | Whether mining, trading or export is among its declared activities |
| Managers or directors (gérants, administrateurs) | Who may represent the company, to compare with the people negotiating |
| Share capital (capital social) | The scale of the company against the size of the deal |
| Registration date and later entries | Its age, and changes to its managers, capital or address |
How do you obtain and read an RCCM extract?
- Ask the seller for its RCCM number, Id. Nat. and NIF, and a copy of its articles of association (statuts).
- Request a current extract from the registry of the commercial court where the company is registered — Lubumbashi, Kolwezi, Kinshasa or another city — rather than relying on a copy. Requests are usually made in person or through a representative; check the registry’s current requirements.
- Check that the name, number, legal form and registered office on the extract match the contract, the licence and the bank details.
- Compare the managers named on the extract with the people signing. Anyone else needs a power of attorney (procuration) from the company.
- Read the business purpose. A company whose declared activity does not include mining or mineral trade should explain the deal it is offering.
What does an RCCM number not prove?
| Not proved by the RCCM | Where it is checked |
|---|---|
| A mining title or exploitation right | CAMI, the mining cadastre |
| Approval to buy and export minerals | The Ministry of Mines (trading houses) or the provincial mining authorities (traders) |
| Ownership of the cathode, cobalt hydroxide or gold on offer | The warehouse or site holding it, and the production or purchase records |
| That the goods exist and match the grade | Inspection, sampling and laboratory testing |
| That the minerals are conflict-free and correctly certified | Traceability records, CEEC and, for gold and tin, tantalum and tungsten, the ICGLR regional certificate |
| That its owners are clean | Sanctions, politically-exposed-person and adverse-media screening |
What is CAMI and how do you check a mining title?
The Cadastre Minier (CAMI) is the public body that receives applications for mining and quarry rights, records them and keeps the register of titles under the DR Congo Mining Code. Its map portal shows titles with their numbers, holders, types, areas and status.
| Title or authorisation | What it permits |
|---|---|
| Permis de Recherches (PR) | Exploration only — not production or sale |
| Permis d’Exploitation (PE) | Industrial mining in the area of the title |
| Permis d’Exploitation de Petite Mine (PEPM) | Small-scale mining in the area of the title |
| Permis d’Exploitation des Rejets (PER) | Working tailings and other mining residues |
| Artisanal exploitation zone (ZEA) | Artisanal mining by registered miners and cooperatives |
Take the title number from the seller and confirm on the cadastre the holder, the type, the minerals, the area and the status. Then compare the holder with the RCCM extract. A title held by a different company, an exploration permit offered as a source of production, or a title marked as expired or under forfeiture changes the risk of the deal. Where the portal is not conclusive, CAMI can confirm the title directly.
Which approvals do traders and exporters need?
Many Congolese sellers are not miners but buyers and exporters. Trading houses that buy artisanal production for export (comptoirs agréés) are approved by the Ministry of Mines; traders (négociants) are licensed through the provincial mining authorities; artisanal miners work through registered cooperatives. Each approval names a holder, a mineral and a period, and should match the RCCM record.
Exports are assessed and certified by the CEEC, which issues the certificates that accompany a consignment, and gold and the tin, tantalum and tungsten minerals also carry the regional certificate of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR). Ask for these records for any past or current shipment and confirm them with the issuing body. Procedures change; check the registry’s current requirements.
Which red flags appear when the record is checked?
- The RCCM number refers to a different city or company from the one in the contract.
- The title quoted is a Permis de Recherches, yet the seller offers production.
- The holder on the cadastre is a different company, with no documented supply agreement.
- The seller exports but holds no trading-house approval and cannot show CEEC records.
- The people signing are not the managers on the RCCM extract and hold no procuration.
- The seller asks for fees for “export documents” before any inspection.
Where can an RCCM and CAMI check be done for you?
Nairank Global confirms Congolese suppliers on the RCCM and at CAMI, checks trading approvals and export certificates with their issuers, and inspects and samples the goods in Lubumbashi and Kolwezi. See supplier due diligence in the DR Congo, or start with supplier due diligence. Buying copper? Read genuine copper suppliers in the DRC.