The National Investment Promotion Agency (ANAPI) said it approved 96 projects and applications in 2025, representing expected investment of $5.13 billion. This total marks a 125.7% increase from 2024 and reflects heightened activity by the Approval Board, which reviewed 190 cases compared with 114 the previous year, the agency said.
ANAPI noted that the momentum was largely driven by foreign direct investment, which accounted for 84.39% of the amounts approved in 2025. The agency said the strong share of foreign capital highlights growing interest among international investors in large-scale projects in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Sectoral data released by ANAPI show that services attracted the largest share of approved investment, capturing 61.47% of the total, mainly through projects in the energy sector. Industry ranked second with 32.23%, indicating that investment in processing and manufacturing activities remains relatively limited.
Geographically, ANAPI said the provinces of Lualaba and Haut-Katanga received the highest investment totals, with $1.38 billion and $868.6 million respectively. The agency also reported interprovincial projects worth a combined $1.9 billion, pointing to increased interest in investments with nationwide scope.
If implemented, the projects approved in 2025 are expected to create 8,383 direct jobs, according to ANAPI projections.
2026 priorities
The surge in approvals follows the appointment on Dec. 16, 2024, of Rachel Pungu Luamba as head of ANAPI. The former internal auditor at the Central Bank has said she intends to maintain this momentum in 2026. Her priorities include completing the revision of the Investment Code, accelerating the full digitalisation of services, and strengthening the agency’s presence across the provinces. She also aims to develop strategic international partnerships and promote more inclusive investment that generates jobs and local added value.
The DRC has launched a broader reform process aimed at improving investment conditions and the business environment. The objectives include developing a national investment and business environment policy and updating the Investment Code. ANAPI said the current Code has several shortcomings, including administrative procedures seen as burdensome, unclear tax incentives, and provisions that do not fully reflect the country’s current structure of 26 provinces.
Boaz Kabeya
