Johnny Velloza is the Chief Executive Officer of Kobaloni Energy, the company developing Africa’s first battery-grade cobalt sulphate refinery in Zambia to support the growing electric-vehicle supply chain. With more than 30 years of international mining experience, he has held senior operational and executive roles at leading companies including De Beers, AngloGold Ashanti, BHP Billiton and Gem Diamonds.

A seasoned mining engineer with strong operational and strategic expertise, Velloza has led large-scale mining and processing projects across Africa, South America and Australia. At Kobaloni Energy, he oversees the development of a refinery designed to supply cobalt materials for up to one million EV batteries annually, with potential expansion planned.

He is recognised for promoting high ESG standards, local value creation and supply-chain transparency, positioning Kobaloni Energy as a key contributor to responsible critical-minerals production and global decarbonisation efforts.