Premium Visa cardholders in the Democratic Republic of Congo saw a sharp increase in international travel spending and high-end retail purchases in December 2025, according to a Feb. 10, 2026 statement from Visa.

Data from the Visa Consulting & Analytics Retail Spend Monitor, based on a subset of VisaNet transactions and supplemented by estimates for other payment methods, showed that international travel spending by premium Visa cardholders rose more than 45% year-on-year during the holiday period from Dec. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025.

Spending in the DRC by international Visa cardholders, both premium and non-premium, also increased. Visitors from the United Arab Emirates, Zambia, the Czech Republic and Portugal were among the fastest-growing segments, with spending rising more than 75%.

Among Congolese premium Visa cardholders, international travel spending rose 45%. Spending on travel to destinations including France, China, Morocco and the United States increased by about 85%.

Luxury retail also recorded strong growth. Spending on clothing and jewelry abroad by premium Visa cardholders rose more than 55% during the holiday period.

Sophie Kafuti, Visa’s DRC country manager, said the results reflect changing consumer behavior during the holidays. She said the company aims to support these trends by offering “secure, seamless and innovative payment solutions for consumers and businesses.”

In the DRC, Visa has expanded its local presence through partnerships with commercial banks and fintechs. In September 2025, it launched VisaPay, an application designed to facilitate digital payments for consumers and improve everyday payment transactions.

Ronsard Luabeya