Africell Holding Limited, a telco present in various African countries including the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), raised $300 million in the international capital market last month. This funding came from a covered bond issue that will mature in 2029. The offering was popular among investors, with bids totaling $550 million.

Africell will use the money to refinance its existing debt and boost its investment capacity, especially in the DRC, where the company has strong growth potential. The financing package also includes a $30 million revolving credit facility yet to be used. This deal improves Africell's financial position by reducing short-term cash needs and supporting sustainable growth. The funds will help lower operating costs and manage currency risks, which are important issues in the DRC, and Angola, another market where Africell operates.

Besides the DRC and Angola, Africell is well-established in markets like Gambia and Sierra Leone. Although the DRC is the telco’s fourth-largest market, the country’s size and increasing demand for mobile and internet services present major opportunities for expansion.

A year ago, Africell announced plans to expand into three new provinces in eastern DRC: North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika. The company wants about four million new customers in these areas where access to mobile networks is poor.

The recent fundraising was arranged by Citigroup, J.P. Morgan, and Standard Chartered. Part of the proceeds will help enhance Africell's network infrastructure, diversify its financing sources, and increase sales while ensuring financial stability for future investments in the DRC and other African countries.

Georges Auréole Bamba

The Presidents of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda met last week, on October 30, 2024. According to the Congolese presidency, the men had a three-hour talk, focused on security issues and regional development opportunities.

After the meeting, Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said the discussion was "very enriching and very promising." The Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni noted that the talks addressed bilateral security concerns and regional stability between Uganda and the DRC.

Last July, UN experts claimed in a report that Ugandan officers had allowed M23 and Rwandan troops to pass through Uganda to attack the DRC. The same report also accused Uganda of harboring leaders of the rebel movement. The Ugandan army's deputy spokesman dismissed these claims calling them "risible, unfounded and illogical". He then insisted that both armies work together to restore peace in eastern DRC. Following a review meeting held on October 10 and 11, 2024, in Kinshasa, with the chiefs of staff from both countries' armed forces, the DRC announced plans to strengthen its cooperation with Uganda. 

Kasindi-Beni-Butembo Roads

Beyond security matters, the two leaders discussed developing the oil sector around Lake Albert and improving road infrastructure. According to the DRC presidency, President Museveni reaffirmed his commitment to building the Kasindi-Beni-Butembo road and eventually the Bunagana-Rutshuru-Goma road. "This is one of the motivations for our membership in the East African Community (EAC), but unfortunately everything has come to a halt because of the aggression we are suffering," said Tshisekedi.

These roads will connect the two countries and provide access to East Africa and the Indian Ocean from Kasindi-Lubiriha. In June 2021, Tshisekedi and Museveni laid the foundation stone for these projects, with construction starting in 2022 on the nearly 140 km Kasindi-Beni-Butembo road. This part of the project has an initial cost of $300 million and is carried out by Dott Services Limited, an Indian company based in Uganda. Dott Services should finance 60% of the work, while both countries will contribute 20%.

A few months ago, the project was paused due to non-compliance with certain contract terms. To address these issues, on October 16, 2024, the DRC and Uganda signed an amendment to their agreement related to the two road projects. They agreed to exempt taxes and other fees, enhance security against rebel threats in the region, and improve project coordination.

Oil Pipeline

The DRC and Uganda are exploring ways to enable the DRC to join the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project. The pipeline project, spanning 1,400 km, will connect Murchison Falls National Park in Uganda to Tanga port in Tanzania. Supported by Uganda, Tanzania, Total Energies, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the pipeline will facilitate the transportation of crude extracted from the Albertine Graben area shared by both countries, thus making the site’s blocks more attractive for investors. 

"I leave with hope that what we discussed will come to fruition. I'm counting on you and your wisdom so that everything we talked about becomes a reality," said Tshisekedi as he concluded his visit to Uganda.

Pierre Mukoko

Inter Oriental Builders, a road construction and maintenance company based in Ariwara, Ituri province, started rehabilitating the Farandje-Dungu road on November 2, 2024. 

The 34 km road is important for the region. It is the main supply route for agricultural products to the provincial capital, Isiro, especially since a bridge at Bomokandi collapsed in September 2023. The road’s poor condition has caused an increase in fuel prices, as noted by the governor when announcing the project on July 17, 2024.

Although Haut-Uele is less known internationally than mining regions like Katanga or Lualaba, it is home to Kibali Gold, Africa's largest gold mine. This mine is operated by a joint venture between Barrick Gold and AngloGold Ashanti (each holding 45%), along with the Congolese state-owned company Sokimo (10%).

On its website, Inter Oriental Builders highlights its qualifications for this project. The company lists several completed projects, including roadwork in Durba, and claims expertise in building mining sites and other civil engineering projects.

Georges Auréole Bamba

Alors que nous approchons de la fin de l’année 2024, la production de Kamoa-Kakula s’accélère. La plus grande mine de cuivre de la République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) a atteint un record de 41 800 tonnes produites en octobre 2024, selon une annonce faite le 4 novembre par Ivanhoe Mines, qui détient 39,6 % de la mine. Cette production, en hausse de 1 453 tonnes par rapport au mois d’août, date de la mise en service d’une troisième usine de traitement, se situe à 8 200 tonnes du volume mensuel nécessaire pour atteindre la capacité de production installée de 600 000 tonnes.

Selon les chiffres publiés par Ivanhoe, la performance de Kamoa-Kakula s’est rapprochée de la capacité de production installée le 12 octobre. Ce jour-là, la mine a atteint un record de 1 720 tonnes de cuivre. « Cela correspond à un taux de production annualisé d’environ 580 000 tonnes de cuivre, en tenant compte de la disponibilité », précise l’entreprise basée au Canada.

Cette accélération ne permettra néanmoins pas de compenser les pertes de production enregistrées au premier semestre en raison de l’intermittence de l’approvisionnement en électricité par le réseau. Cette situation a conduit Ivanhoe à revoir à la baisse ses prévisions de production, passant d’une fourchette initiale de 440 à 490 mille tonnes à une nouvelle estimation comprise entre 425 et 450 mille tonnes de concentrés de cuivre. Cependant, cela laisse entrevoir une nouvelle hausse de la production en 2025, après une augmentation de 18 % en 2023, atteignant 393 551 tonnes.

Tout comme la production de Kamoa-Kakula, les prix du cuivre continuent d’augmenter. Au premier semestre 2024, le prix moyen du cuivre a atteint 9 215,84 dollars la tonne, contre 8 726,90 dollars à la même période en 2023. Plusieurs analystes estiment que les prix du cuivre devraient atteindre en moyenne 10 200 dollars la tonne au cours du dernier trimestre de 2024, et pour 2025, plusieurs institutions anticipent un prix moyen approchant les 10 500 dollars la tonne. Dans une étude de préfaisabilité, Ivanhoe Mines indique qu’un prix moyen de 7 000 dollars la tonne sur la durée de vie de la mine est nécessaire pour générer des profits solides.

En 2023, les ventes de Kamoa-Kakula ont dépassé les 2,7 milliards de dollars, et on s’achemine vers un chiffre d’affaires encore plus élevé en 2024. Pour les neuf premiers mois de l’année, les ventes s’élevaient déjà à 2,3 milliards de dollars, avec un chiffre d’affaires record de 828 millions de dollars au troisième trimestre, selon les chiffres publiés par Ivanhoe Mines. Cette perspective est intéressante pour les créanciers de Kamoa-Kakula, qui a bénéficié d’un financement non garanti de 400 millions de dollars auprès d’institutions financières en RDC pour soutenir son expansion. Elle l’est également pour l’État. À titre d’illustration, Ivanhoe affirme que l’État a perçu, à fin juillet 2024, plus de 217 millions de dollars au titre de l’impôt sur les bénéfices et profits, contre près de 29 millions de dollars durant toute l’année 2023.

Pierre Mukoko

Lire aussi :

Cuivre : après l’Américain Goldman Sachs, le Suisse UBS prédit aussi une hausse du prix en 2025

Cuivre : réduction des objectifs de production 2024 de la plus grande mine de RDC

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) is the international body that evaluates measures against money laundering, terrorist financing, and arms proliferation. In October 2022, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) joined the list, due to weaknesses in its anti-laundering system. Now, the African country wishes to be removed from the list.

The Democratic Republic of Congo wishes to be off the “grey list” of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) by 2025. Congolese Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba voiced this ambition on Oct.26, 2024, in a meeting with U.S. Treasury Assistant Secretary Scott Rembrandt. The meeting occurred in Washington, D.C, on the sidelines of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual Meetings 

After a three-day meeting in Paris on October 25, the FATF decided to keep the DRC on its grey list. The Task Force said the DRC must continue working on its action plan to address its weaknesses. This includes creating a risk-based control plan, improving the National Cell for Financial Intelligence (CENAREF) analysis capacity, and enhancing skills for investigating and prosecuting money laundering and terrorist financing. The African country was also asked to effectively implement financial sanctions related to terrorism and arms proliferation before the FATF’s next review session, in October 2025.

Over the past two years, the DRC has taken several steps to be removed from the FATF’s list. For example, it enacted a new AML/CFT law in December 2022. This law extends measures to all financial sectors, bans anonymous accounts, and strengthens the monitoring of politically exposed persons (PEPs). Additionally, a national AML/CFT strategy was approved at the end of 2023, and a National Risk Assessment (NRA) report was created and shared. Authorities for non-financial sectors have also been designated, and investigation capabilities have improved with new hires and training for investigators. Financial sanctions texts were signed on March 21, 2024.

However, experts say an effective AML/CFT system requires financial transactions to go through regulated channels so they can be tracked. In the DRC, many payments are still made in cash. To reduce cash use, authorities have set a limit for cash transactions at $10,000. The government acknowledges challenges with this measure, including a parallel foreign exchange market that supports informal economy networks and limited banking access in remote areas.

Pierre Mukoko

Dans un communiqué publié le 3 novembre 2024, Congo Airways annonce la reprise de ses opérations avec un premier vol prévu le 10 du même mois. Mais le document ne communique pas de détail sur ce vol de reprise. Néanmoins, selon le programme de vol du mois de novembre, publié ce 5 novembre, il est prévu un aller-retour entre Kinshasa et Kananga, capitale provinciale du Kasaï-Central tous les dimanches. Le 10 novembre étant un dimanche, on peut faire l’hypothèse que le vol de reprise s’effectuera sur la ligne Kinshasa-Kananga.

Découvrez nos Destinations .

Congo Airways, le plaisir de voyager !#AchetezMaintenant #Kinshasa_RDC #aviationlovers #programmedevols pic.twitter.com/quBSNcalDJ

— Congo Airways (@FlyCongoAirways) November 5, 2024

Congo Airways, fondée en 2014, a vu sa flotte initiale se réduire de quatre à deux avions opérationnels, une diminution accentuée par des problèmes techniques récurrents qui ont conduit à l’arrêt de ses activités en juillet dernier. Cette situation a fait courir à la compagnie aérienne nationale le risque de perdre à la fois son agrément de l’Association du transport aérien international (IATA) et son certificat de transporteur aérien (CTA) délivré par l’Autorité congolaise de l’aviation. En septembre dernier, l’IATA et l’Autorité congolaise de l’aviation ont accordé à Congo Airways un moratoire de 90 jours pour constituer une nouvelle flotte et relancer ses activités. 

Lors d’une conférence de presse le 14 octobre 2024, le ministre congolais du Portefeuille, Jean-Lucien Bussa Tongba, a annoncé que la compagnie aérienne nationale de la République démocratique du Congo (RDC) devait disposer d’un avion de location au plus tard le 7 novembre. Il informait aussi que des négociations sont en cour avec Air France pour la location de deux nouveaux moteurs destinés à l’un de ses appareils.

PM

Lire aussi :

Relance de Congo Airways : trois avions annoncés d’ici décembre 2024

Relance d’Air Congo : Norbert Sengemali Lukukwa au pas de course

Avec Air Congo, Ethiopian Airlines consolide sa position stratégique en RDC

The Reverend Sister Rita Mboshu-Kongo, from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and a member of the Congregation of the Daughters of Mary Coredemptrix, received the Award of Excellence at the "Standout Woman Award 2024" ceremony in Rome on October 31, 2024. This award honors her commitment to educating and training women and girls in the DRC.

Sister Rita is the founder and president of the "Pope Francis for Africa" Foundation (FOPAFA), which empowers women and youth through education and vocational training. Based in Kinshasa, the Foundation focuses on poor neighborhoods with high poverty and illiteracy rates.

One of FOPAFA's flagship programs, "Focolare della Carità: Fraternità Laudato Si'," provides training in sewing, pastry-making, beauty care, and other skills to young single mothers and girls in vulnerable situations. The aim is to help them be financially independent and live better.

Sister Rita's recognition highlights her work’s impact on girls' education and women's vocational training in Africa. Her efforts address the challenges many women face in the DRC and give them opportunities to grow, personally and professionally.

After receiving the "Standout Woman Award 2024," Sister Rita expressed her gratitude and called on people to support FOPAFA's initiatives. She stressed that collaboration is essential for projects that aim to change the lives of women and girls in Africa.

This award emphasizes the vital role of education and vocational training in empowering women in the DRC, a country where 49% of the population is under 14 years old. As the country looks to meet the growing employment needs of its youth, this recognition serves as an inspiring example for similar initiatives across the nation.

Georges Auréole Bamba

The Congolese Minister of Rural Development, Muhindo Nzangi Butondo, was in Gbadolite, North Ubangi, on October 28, 2024. During his visit, he discussed a major road project to connect national roads with agricultural areas, improving access to rural markets and supporting local development. In detail, the project involves building and repairing 11,000 kilometers of agricultural feeder roads across the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Minister Butondo, on the same occasion, noted that various projects to improve waterways and feeder roads across the country have already received government funding. He also highlighted cooperation with the Régie des Voies Fluviales (RVF) and the Office des Voies de Desserte Agricole (OVDA) to better use waterways in promising rural areas. The OVDA, created in 2020, focuses on connecting production areas via waterways and lesser roads.

The official was touring many northern localities to "assess local priorities with provincial officials and create a development plan for agricultural service infrastructure”.

Regarding the 11,000km feeder roads project, its costs and timelines are currently unknown, but this commitment falls under this year’s budget. "My ministry has committed itself in this year's forecast to building and rehabilitating 11,000 km of agricultural feeder roads throughout the national territory (26 provinces)," Muhindo Nzangi said in this regard.

According to feedback from a similar project funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), better feeder roads help reduce travel time and costs for getting produce to market by four times. Other benefits included quicker access to healthcare and clean water.

The DRC has immense agricultural potential but this potential is largely untapped, due to poor drainage routes and storage facilities. With donor support, the country ramps up efforts to make agriculture contribute more to the economy. At the launch of the 2024/2025 agricultural campaign, the government distributed five million seeds, tractors, pesticides, protective gear, fertilizers, cassava cuttings, motorcycles, and bicycles to provinces. 

Georges Auréole Bamba

Several experts from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). They are there to finalize two new programs valued at $2.5 billion. According to the chief of the IMF mission, Calixte Ahokposi, concerned parties must agree on the specific objectives of the new partnership. This is what will determine the disbursement of related funds.

To achieve these goals, the government must make decisions that will affect the daily lives of millions of Congolese citizens and foreign residents. In their June 2024 letter requesting the two new programs, the government and central bank outlined commitments based on their views of the country's economic trends and their goals for improving living conditions.

Some commitments are technical, such as managing economic data and increasing communication with IMF experts. Others involve reforms that could directly impact people's lives, like controlling inflation, enabling banks to lend more, and securing funds for building roads, schools, and hospitals while creating jobs.

The ongoing talks also focus on securing about $1 billion to finance policies that tackle climate change and related issues, like flooding and lower agricultural production.

Fuel prices

Fuel prices are also on the table. According to IMF and World Bank experts, subsidizing fuel is a poor use of public funds because it mostly benefits the rich. With living costs rising, authorities have chosen not to impose new taxes and have instead reduced fuel prices.

The talks with the IMF will also address managing exceptional expenses related to security issues along the borders with Rwanda and Uganda. Initially projected at 2,247 billion Congolese francs (CF), this security spending is expected to rise to CF4,442 billion (about $1.5 billion) by the end of 2024. This is roughly 50% of the total public sector salary budget ($2.85 billion) and 80% of the amount set for the 2019 master plan to transform Kinshasa. The government is committed to auditing this exceptional spending.

Finally, discussions will include tax exemptions. In 2023, the government acknowledged it had waived around $2 billion in various taxes, with 60% benefiting companies, especially in mining. While these exemptions aim to help companies invest and maintain liquidity, follow-up is needed to see if they help create jobs for the Congolese people.

At the end of their mission, IMF experts will prepare a report on the commitments made and their timelines for implementation. The DRC government hopes to reach an agreement before the end of 2024 so it can start 2025 with clarity on its development strategies. This includes parts of its national development plan for 2025, the second phase of its territorial development plan, its public investment program, various donor-supported programs, and a climate response plan estimated at $58 billion over the next six years.

Georges Auréole Bamba

Des experts du Fonds monétaire international (FMI) sont présents depuis quelques jours en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) pour finaliser le contenu de deux nouveaux programmes d’un montant global de 2,5 milliards de dollars, sollicités par le gouvernement en juin 2024. Si le principe de ces programmes semble acquis, les parties prenantes doivent encore s'entendre sur les objectifs de cette nouvelle coopération, selon le chef de mission du FMI, Calixte Ahokposi. L’atteinte de ces objectifs conditionnera le décaissement des fonds.

Pour atteindre ces objectifs, le gouvernement doit prendre des décisions ayant un impact sur la vie quotidienne de millions de Congolais ainsi que sur celle des citoyens étrangers vivant et travaillant en RDC. Dans leur lettre d'intention de juin 2024, sollicitant ces nouveaux programmes, les autorités (gouvernement et banque centrale) ont formulé une série d'engagements, fondés sur leur perception des tendances économiques du pays et leurs ambitions en matière d’amélioration des conditions économiques et de vie.

Certains engagements sont d'ordre purement technique, comme la gestion des données économiques du pays et la fréquence des échanges avec les experts du FMI. D'autres portent sur des réformes pouvant directement ou indirectement affecter la vie des Congolais, notamment le contrôle de l'inflation, l’augmentation de la capacité des banques commerciales à accorder plus de prêts aux acteurs économiques, et la mobilisation de fonds pour construire davantage de routes, d’écoles et d’hôpitaux, tout en créant des emplois.

Une autre dimension des négociations en cours porte sur la mobilisation d’environ 1 milliard de dollars pour financer des politiques de prévention des risques liés au changement climatique et de réponse aux complications qui en découlent, telles que les inondations et la baisse de la production agricole.

Prix du carburant

Un autre point de discussion sera la question des prix de l'essence. Les experts du FMI et de la Banque mondiale estiment de façon récurrente que subventionner le carburant de manière générale constitue une mauvaise utilisation de l’argent public, car cette mesure pourrait surtout bénéficier aux plus riches. Face à l'augmentation continue du coût de la vie, les autorités ont choisi de ne pas imposer de taxes supplémentaires et ont été contraintes de réduire les prix du carburant, indispensable pour les déplacements et l’électrification des foyers.

Les discussions avec le FMI porteront également sur la gestion des dépenses exceptionnelles, notamment celles liées à la crise sécuritaire aux frontières avec le Rwanda et l’Ouganda. Initialement prévues à 2 247 milliards de francs congolais (FC), ces dépenses de sécurité devraient atteindre 4 442 milliards de FC (environ 1,5 milliard de dollars) d’ici fin 2024, selon les prévisions gouvernementales basées sur les dépenses engagées au cours des premiers mois de l'année. Pour mettre en perspective, cette somme équivaut à environ la moitié du budget global des salaires du secteur public (2,85 milliards de dollars) et représente 80 % du financement requis pour un plan directeur établi en 2019 pour transformer Kinshasa. Le gouvernement s’est engagé à réaliser des audits sur ces dépenses exceptionnelles.

Enfin, les discussions avec le FMI aborderont les exonérations fiscales. En 2023, le gouvernement a reconnu avoir renoncé à collecter environ 2 milliards de dollars en impôts et taxes diverses, dont 60 % ont bénéficié aux entreprises, en particulier dans le secteur minier. Bien que ces exonérations visent à garantir que les entreprises puissent investir et maintenir leur liquidité, un suivi sera nécessaire pour vérifier si elles entraînent réellement la création de davantage d'emplois pour les Congolais.

À l'issue de leur mission, les experts du FMI établiront un rapport sur les différents engagements pris et les délais d'exécution. Le gouvernement de la RDC espère parvenir à un accord avant la fin de l'année 2024, ce qui lui permettrait de commencer l'année suivante avec une clarté sur la mise en œuvre de plusieurs de ses stratégies de développement. Cela inclut la composante 2025 du plan national de développement, la deuxième phase de son plan de développement des territoires, son programme d'investissement public, plusieurs autres programmes soutenus par des bailleurs, ainsi que le plan de réponse climatique, estimé à 58 milliards de dollars sur les six prochaines années.

Georges Auréole Bamba

Lire aussi :

La RDC sollicite 2,5 milliards de dollars auprès du FMI, son 2e créancier extérieur

Projet de loi de finances 2025 : des enjeux susceptibles d’influencer le climat des affaires

Baisse du prix du carburant à la pompe : première promesse tenue contre la vie chère