Cité de Chine, a Chinatown-like project in Kinshasa, was kicked off last Saturday, May 10. The Congolese Minister of Industry, Louis Watum Kabamba, laid the foundation stone for the project.
Carried by African Sunrise, a Chinese group, Cité de Chine is a large-scale project that spans 150,000 m². It will include shopping centers, logistics infrastructure, financial services, residential areas, and hotel facilities.
According to the Ministry of Industry, the project should require an initial investment of $200 million, but could later attract up to $300 million in additional capital. The project is expected to create around 30,000 jobs during construction and operation. Work is planned in two phases, with partial commissioning scheduled for December 2025 and full completion in May 2027.
Minister Kabamba, who laid the foundation stone for the project, stressed that it falls under efforts to boost the cooperation between China and the DRC, especially in regards to commercial and industrial infrastructure. “Cité de Chine reflects the industrial future of the DRC, taking shape in the heart of Kinshasa,” the Congolese official said.
The collaboration between the Congolese government and African Sunrise originated at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Beijing and continued with a meeting in Kinshasa on November 13, 2024, where the company presented its projects, including a shopping mall and industrial park in the capital.
African Sunrise Investment Group has executed similar projects in Angola, such as the $200 million Nova Era shopping center in Cacuaco and the $600 million Funda Industrial Park, which aims to host 160 factories and create over 30,000 jobs. These projects reflect the group’s strategy to grow its footprint in Africa, providing outlets for Chinese-manufactured products. This approach contrasts with the Congolese Ministry of Foreign Trade’s policy focused on reducing imports and promoting local industry.
This article was initially published in French by Boaz Kabeya and Timothée Manoke (interns)
Edited in English by Ola Schad Akinocho
