Last year, at the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic year, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) started building “a unified national database for higher and university education”. The system tracks students from enrollment to graduation and academic staff from recruitment to retirement. 

According to a circular dated February 12, 2025, the database will be managed through the PathAcademia digital platform, developed by Hope Systems and Finance. The circular was signed by Marie-Thérèse Sombo Ayanne, Minister of Tertiary and Higher Education (ESU). 

The same note indicates that the "ESU Digital Solution" fees will be paid to Hope Systems at $20 per student. With approximately 564,000 students enrolled in higher education in 2019-2020, this partnership is projected to generate over $11 million in revenue for Hope Systems in 2025, potentially increasing with annual student growth. However, it remains unclear whether this payment will be recurring or a one-time settlement.

The contract between the Ministry and Hope Systems has not been publicly disclosed, making it difficult to determine the full scope of services the company is expected to provide. Nonetheless, the circular indicates that the PathAcademia platform should be capable of storing historical data, integrating bank payment systems, and interfacing with existing digital management models within educational institutions. Typically, such services also include data storage and protection, platform maintenance, and user training.

For now, little is known about Hope Systems and Finance, as its website is currently under maintenance and the company does not appear to be active on social media. During a recent meeting with the Minister of ESU, the company's operations manager, Alex Mukadi, described it as an IT specialist firm. 

Pierre Mukoko and Boaz Kabeya (intern)