Grace Nkuanga Bilolo, governor of Kongo-Central province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, launched a road rehabilitation project on Oct. 25, 2025, aimed at improving the transport of farm goods to markets.

The project, which began in Kinzau Nvuete in Seke-Banza territory, covers 550 kilometers of rural feeder roads. The work will be carried out in stages, with the first phase focusing on 230 kilometers of priority routes over nine months.

The first phase, financed by the Agency for the Management of Toll and Weighing Rights (AGDP), will cost 3.85 billion Congolese francs (about $1.6 million), or roughly $7,000 per kilometer.

The launch phase includes the Kinzau-Mvuete, Seke-Banza, Mbatassiala, and Lombo-Fuese-Kilukweta sections, located in the Kasangulu and Mbanza-Ngungu territories. The Kongo-Central Public Works Agency will carry out the work.

Governor Bilolo unveiled new civil engineering equipment purchased with provincial funds to support the project. He said the initiative is part of a provincial program to better connect rural areas, aiming to ease the sale of farm produce and improve living standards in local communities.

The governor’s announcement follows a statement by former Rural Development Minister Muhindo Nzangi Butondo in October 2024, outlining a government plan to build and rehabilitate 11,000 kilometers of agricultural feeder roads across the DRC. It was not immediately clear whether the Kongo-Central project is part of that national initiative.

Ronsard Luabeya

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has reported illegal imports of Dangote-brand cement through the ports of Linda and Bouming in the Maluku area, in violation of existing import restrictions.

Foreign Trade Minister Julien Paluku Kahongya announced the news on the ministry’s official X (Twitter) account on Oct. 27, 2025.

In a related letter sent the same day to the public prosecutor’s office at the Kinshasa-Gombe High Court, the minister called for an immediate investigation to identify and prosecute those behind the illegal operations. Paluku also instructed SEGUCE DRC, the operator of the country’s single-window trade system, to tighten controls in the domestic cement market.

The ministry warned that such practices threaten the local industry. Paluku urged swift action to preserve fair competition, enforce trade regulations, and prevent future incidents in the region.

In July 2024, the government tightened import restrictions by temporarily suspending gray cement and clinker imports in the western and southeastern regions to protect and boost domestic production.

The import suspension, however, has drawn mixed reactions. Some consumers blame it for higher cement prices, which reportedly rose from $8 to $15 per bag in southeastern DRC.

Ronsard Luabeya

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) plans to introduce national standards to regulate its public works and construction sector, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Public Works (ITP) said in a statement dated Oct. 22, 2025.

The move follows a decree establishing a National Standards Commission, which has 18 months to design a framework tailored to the country’s geological, climatic, and socio-economic conditions. Implementation of the new standards is expected by 2027.

The commission will include representatives from line ministries, the Roads and Drainage Office (OVD), the Congolese Agency for Major Works (ACGT), the Order of Engineers, universities, and the Federation of Congolese Enterprises (FEC). Its composition aims to combine technical expertise with market needs and contributions from both public and private stakeholders.

Six categories of standards will be developed by specialized sub-commissions to ensure appropriate approaches for different types of construction projects and materials. The decree also requires that the new framework be harmonized with regional and international benchmarks, to make it easier for foreign firms to enter the Congolese market and for local companies to compete in regional projects.

The initiative follows a January appeal by Jean Kakwende, executive secretary of the BTP Club and the Chamber of Trades and Artisans, who criticized the lack of a regulatory framework in the DRC’s construction sector. He warned that this gap undermines public safety and infrastructure quality, saying, “Without standards, there can be no sustainable development.”

The reform aligns with President Félix-Antoine Tshisekedi’s focus on construction, infrastructure, and housing as key drivers of economic transformation.

While the construction sector creates at least 500,000 jobs a year, it suffers from widespread non-compliance, leading to repeated building collapses and loss of life. Recent incidents include the collapse of a building under construction in Bunia, which caused several casualties, and the deaths of five workers in Kinshasa’s Matete commune when a concrete block collapsed during drainage work.

These accidents highlight the consequences of failing to follow technical standards in public works projects. The rapid degradation of public infrastructure, particularly roads, often occurring just months after completion, has become a well-known issue.

The introduction of mandatory standards aims to cut rehabilitation costs, improve worksite safety, and extend the lifespan of public investments.

Timothée Manoke

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has launched an international call for partners to build a domestic train assembly and manufacturing plant.

The document, signed on Oct. 17, 2025, by Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba, seeks private partners to set up assembly units capable of producing dozens of locomotives and wagons each year. The project also calls for training and technology transfer to local engineers and technicians.

Planned as a 25- to 30-year public-private partnership (PPP), the initiative includes maintenance facilities, spare parts production, and vocational training.

Two sites are under consideration: Matadi, the country’s main Atlantic port, and Kalemie, a key railway junction in Tanganyika province.

The project marks a step toward developing a local railway industry in a country that relies heavily on imported rolling stock. While the government supports the plan, it faces major structural and financial hurdles.

Macroeconomic risks such as exchange-rate volatility, payment delays, and regulatory uncertainty could deter investors. Continued dependence on imported components also exposes the project to high logistical and financial risks.

Expected productivity gains could be constrained by a shortage of skilled labor, the absence of local subcontractors and integrated logistics, and persistent bottlenecks in energy, transport, and digital infrastructure.

By comparison, South Africa and Egypt built their railway industries only after decades of investment in technical training and industrial subcontracting.

According to the call document, the DRC has over 5,000 kilometers of railway lines, much of which is underused or non-operational, limiting the market’s current potential. The government, however, has begun rehabilitating national and regional rail corridors, including the Lobito Corridor linking Angola, Zambia, and the DRC, and the Tanganyika Corridor to Tanzania.

In September 2025, the government relaunched the 366-kilometer Kinshasa-Matadi line, reconnecting the capital with its main seaport and adding new rolling stock. The line is expected to be extended to the Banana deep-water port, now under construction, to strengthen both domestic and international trade.

If these projects succeed, they could ease mobility constraints in a country where roads and river transport remain overburdened by degraded infrastructure, congestion, outdated vessels, unmarked waterways, and frequent accidents that all continue to raise logistics costs and weaken economic competitiveness.

Pierre Mukoko

Chinese miner CMOC Group Ltd produced 87,974 tons of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) between January and September 2025, up 3% from the same period a year earlier, the company said in an operational report on Oct. 24.

The combined output from its Kisanfu and Tenke Fungurume mines keeps the company on track to meet its 2025 target of between 100,000 and 120,000 tons, compared with 114,200 tons in 2024.

Most of this year’s production, however, cannot be exported. The DRC , the world’s largest cobalt producer , imposed an export embargo on Feb. 21, 2025, later replaced on Oct. 16 by a quota system that limits CMOC to shipping 6,500 tons in the final quarter of the year.

For 2026, the company will be allowed to export 31,200 tons, based on December 2025’s authorized volume being maintained each month, unless regulations are breached. Over the two-year period, CMOC’s cumulative exports will be capped at 37,700 tons, less than half its output for the first nine months of 2025. Executives have described the situation as “barely tolerable.”

The quota regime is expected to remain in place until at least 2027. A total of 18,125 tons was approved for 2025, and the combined authorized export volume is projected to reach 96,600 tons for 2026 and 2027. The strategic minerals regulator ARECOMS may adjust these quotas depending on market conditions.

Kinshasa hopes the new rules will lift cobalt prices and encourage miners to invest in local refining and value-added production. Unofficial reports suggest the government is targeting a floor price of $60,000 per tonne, about triple the level recorded in February 2025, when the embargo took effect.

Cobalt currently trades at around $45,000 per tonne on the London Metal Exchange. Prices are expected to rise as the DRC, which accounted for nearly 75% of global supply in 2024, curbs exports. Global demand is forecast to increase by 4% in 2025 and 6% in 2026, according to the Cobalt Institute.

Pierre Mukoko

UK Export Finance (UKEF), the United Kingdom’s export credit agency, has announced a £500 million ($660 million) guarantee facility to support British businesses investing in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The announcement came during the Financial Times Africa Summit 2025, held in London on Oct. 21–22 and attended by DRC Mines Minister Louis Kabamba Watum.

During the summit, Watum took part in a business meeting organized by the DRC–UK Chamber of Commerce, where discussions focused on boosting investment in the mining and energy sectors.

According to the DRC’s Ministry of Mines, UKEF’s guarantee facility aims to promote and protect British investment in the Congolese market. The ministry said the initiative forms part of the broader economic partnership between London and Kinshasa.

A delegation of British investors is expected to visit Kinshasa in January 2026 to explore specific investment opportunities.

RL

EquityBCDC has launched the Libanga account, a new banking service tailored to informal sector workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), including motorcycle taxi drivers, farmers, small traders, domestic workers, refugees, and internally displaced persons. The product was unveiled on October 23, 2025.

Account opening conditions have been simplified: applicants must reside in the DRC, present valid identification (such as a voter card, passport, driver’s license, refugee card, or loss declaration), have a monthly income below $300, make an initial deposit of 2,300 Congolese francs (FC), and maintain a minimum monthly deposit of 700 FC.

To attract this largely unbanked segment, the bank made several services free of charge, including local debit cards and internal transfers and withdrawals.

The Libanga account also features a social protection component. In partnership with Activa Assurance RDC, account holders can access a health and funeral insurance plan for a $1 monthly contribution, covering primary medical care at Afia Health Center and a $100 funeral benefit. The bank describes the initiative as a response to the essential protection and income security needs of its new clientele.

EquityBCDC said the product aligns with its goal of bringing formal banking to nearly 30 million Congolese by 2030, reflecting its broader strategy to expand financial inclusion and support the gradual formalization of the national economy.

As of October 2024, EquityBCDC — 85.67% owned by Kenya’s Equity Holdings Group — had over 1.8 million clients and total assets of $4.4 billion.

Shelter Afrique plans to open a $10 million credit facility for CRDB Bank to support affordable housing projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The pan-African housing finance institution formalized the plan by signing a memorandum of understanding with the Tanzanian commercial bank on the sidelines of the World Bank and IMF annual meetings held in Washington, D.C., from October 13 to 17, 2025.

The preliminary agreement also includes advisory support from Shelter Afrique to help CRDB Bank’s housing finance team better address the full housing value chain.

According to Shelter Afrique CEO Thierno-Habib Hann, the initiative reflects both institutions’ shared commitment to expanding access to affordable housing while promoting regional trade in building materials. It also aligns with a 2023 memorandum signed between Shelter Afrique and the DRC’s Ministry of Urban Planning and Housing, which aimed to co-finance housing projects, arrange additional funding, provide technical assistance, and help the government assess the national real estate market.

Initially, the collaboration will focus on CRDB Bank’s operations in the DRC, with potential future expansion to Tanzania and Burundi. The timeline for the final agreement and implementation of the facility has not yet been disclosed.

In 2023, UN-Habitat estimated the DRC’s housing deficit at 4 million units. With over 15 million residents, Kinshasa alone accounts for 54.4% of the housing need. Meeting this demand would require building 143,092 homes annually in the capital and 265,000 nationwide.

Funding for the housing sector remains scarce. A 2022 IFC study found that total mortgage credit in the DRC stood at only $30 million, representing less than 1% of all loans in the country. Through its partnership with Shelter Afrique, CRDB Bank aims to expand into this market.

Operating in the DRC since 2023, CRDB Bank is still in its establishment phase, with branches in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. This investment phase has weighed on its results: according to its 2024 annual report, the bank posted a loss of 6.6 billion Tanzanian shillings ($2.5 million) during its second year of operations in the country.

Shelter Afrique prévoit d’ouvrir une facilité de 10 millions de dollars à la CRDB Bank pour soutenir le financement de projets de logements abordables en République démocratique du Congo (RDC). La banque panafricaine de développement spécialisée dans le logement a officialisé cette intention par la signature d’un protocole d’accord avec la banque commerciale tanzanienne, en marge des assemblées annuelles de la Banque mondiale et du Fonds monétaire international (FMI), tenues à Washington DC du 13 au 17 octobre 2025.

L’accord préliminaire prévoit que Shelter Afrique fournisse également des services de conseil pour aider l’équipe de financement du logement de la CRDB Bank à mieux aborder l’ensemble de la chaîne de valeur du logement.

Selon le PDG de Shelter Afrique, Thierno-Habib Hann, cette initiative s’inscrit dans l’engagement commun des deux institutions à favoriser l’accès à des logements abordables tout en encourageant le commerce régional des matériaux de construction. Elle est aussi aligné sur un autre protocole d’accord signé en 2023 entre Shelter Afrique et le ministère de l’Urbanisme et du Logement de la RDC. Il prévoyait de financer partiellement des projets de logement, d’agir comme arrangeur pour des financements complémentaires, de fournir une assistance technique aux institutions du secteur et d’aider le gouvernement à évaluer le marché immobilier national.

Dans un premier temps, la collaboration concernera la CRDB Bank en RDC, mais des perspectives d’extension en Tanzanie et au Burundi sont envisagées. Pour l’heure, le calendrier de signature définitive et la mise en place effective de la facilité ne sont pas encore précisés.

En 2023, ONU-Habitat estimait le déficit de logements en RDC à 4 millions d’unités. Avec une population dépassant les 15 millions d’habitants, Kinshasa concentre à elle seule 54,4 % du besoin en logement, selon la même source. Pour combler ce déficit, il faudrait construire 143 092 logements par an dans la capitale et 265 000 à l’échelle nationale.

Les financements disponibles pour le secteur restent cependant extrêmement limités. D’après une étude de la Société financière internationale (SFI/IFC) publiée en 2022, le stock total de crédit hypothécaire en RDC ne dépasse pas 30 millions de dollars, soit moins de 1 % de l’ensemble des crédits distribués dans le pays. Grâce à partenariat avec Shelter Afrique la CRDB Bank souhaite donc attaquer cette filière.

Opérationnelle en RDC depuis 2023, la banque, encore en phase d’implantation, est pour l’instant présente à Kinshasa et à Lubumbashi. Cette phase d’investissement pèse toutefois sur ses performances : selon son rapport annuel, CRDB Bank a clôturé l’exercice 2024, sa deuxième année d’activité dans le pays, avec une perte de 6,6 milliards de shillings tanzaniens, soit 2,5 millions de dollars au taux moyen de l’année.

Ronsard Luabeya

Lire aussi :

Projet Cité-Jardin : Equity BCDC met en place des crédits immobiliers longue durée

Loyers résidentiels en RDC : nouvel arrêté, changements mineurs

Malick Fall (IFC) : « Nous travaillons pour développer le marché des capitaux en RDC »

CRDB Bank perd 2,5 millions $ en RDC en 2024, mais reste optimiste

Le ministre du Commerce extérieur, Julien Paluku Kahongya, a alerté sur l’introduction illégale de cargaisons de ciment, notamment de la marque Dangote, via les ports de Linda et Bouming, dans la zone de Maluku, en violation des restrictions en vigueur. L’information a été publiée le 27 octobre 2025 sur le compte officiel X (Twitter) du ministère.

Dans une correspondance datée du même 27 octobre, adressée au ministère public près le Tribunal de grande instance de Kinshasa-Gombe et relayée par la presse locale, le ministre a demandé l’ouverture immédiate d’une enquête judiciaire afin d’identifier les auteurs des opérations clandestines et de les poursuivre conformément à la loi.

Julien Paluku a saisi la Société d’exploitation du guichet unique intégral en République démocratique du Congo (SEGUCE RDC) afin de renforcer les contrôles sur le marché du ciment dans le pays.

Le ministère qui rappelle que de telles pratiques constituent une menace pour l’industrie locale. Julien Paluku a d’ailleurs insisté sur la nécessité d’agir rapidement pour préserver une concurrence loyale, garantir le respect des règles commerciales et prévenir toute récidive dans la région.

En juillet 2024, des mesures restrictives avaient déjà été renforcées pour protéger et stimuler la production nationale, notamment la suspension temporaire de l’importation de ciment gris et de clinkers dans les régions Ouest et Sud-Est du pays.

Cette mesure ne fait toutefois pas l’unanimité. Certains consommateurs la jugent responsable de la hausse des prix du ciment, dont le sac serait passé de 8 à 15 dollars dans le Sud-Est du pays.

Ronsard Luabeya

Lire aussi :

Matadi: Expobéton met en cause la qualité d’un ciment importé des Émirats

Kinshasa : l’arrivée massive de ciment fait chuter les prix de 52% 

Emballages de ciment et minerais : le coup de pouce de l’État à Bags and Sacs