“I went through an internship program and it transformed my life,” said KoBold Metals Africa’s CEO, Mfikeyi Makayi, addressing the eleven Zambians that were selected for the company’s 2024-2025 internship program.
Ms Mfikeyi heads up KoBold Metals’ copper-cobalt unit in Zambia, making her the first Zambian woman in history to hold such a position.
The US-based startup, which specialises in AI-driven mineral exploration, plans to invest over $300 million in its Mingomba project in Copperbelt Province by the end of 2025. Since February 2024, when the company identified the largest copper deposit in Zambia in over 100 years, it’s been fast-tracking the development of a new copper-cobalt mine by the early 2030s.
Bright young minds
Ms Mfikeyi was actively involved in the Zambia-wide search to find young leaders who can transform industries and build tomorrow’s mines with “bold ideas and cutting-edge technology.”
The company has high hopes for these interns. Initially, they intended to select 10 Zambians for the program, out of a pool of 700 applicants. But there was one applicant who they couldn’t let get away, so they settled on eleven. They hail from Solwezi, Lusaka, Chingola, and Kitwe.
“Out of this group, I want to see the next CEOs, and Zambian business leaders, and African millionaires,” Ms Mfikeyi said to the cohort. “The task is on you.”
The program has been designed to give interns understanding and exposure across the company’s various departments, explained KoBold Africa’s Senior Government Liaison, Gideon Ndalama. “As engineers, we cannot thrive without community liaison support, without the lawyers, without the accountants – we need each other. And that’s what creates an environment that’s going to deliver success.”
“This internship is an opportunity to find your purpose in life,” said Ms Mfikeyi, who has become a role model to countless Zambians since taking up this position in August 2023. “It’s not only about KoBold. This is about you finding your feet and building out your own future – whether you stay with us or whether you go on somewhere else.”
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Look out for our upcoming exclusive interview with Mfikeyi Makayi, in which she tells the story of how she got where she is, what it’s like to work for KoBold Metals, and what exciting plans the company has on the horizon.
Keep an eye on our website and social media platforms, or email info@miningforzambia.com to receive a message the minute it’s published.
Image: Courtesy of KoBold Metals
See also: On the ground at Mingomba
