The Transforme project, a World Bank-backed project that supports entrepreneurs in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), will help Salama K.N Group set up its SME center in Bunia, Ituri province. On March 24, 2025, Alexis Mangala, the national coordinator of the project’s coordination unit (UCP), and Célestin Maombi Bahati, Salama’s managing director, formalized this partnership through a signed agreement.
According to Salama K.N Group, its SME center will provide small and medium-sized enterprises with essential infrastructure and services for fostering their growth. The facility will include utilities like electricity and drinking water, workspaces, production units, parking areas, and shared equipment such as packaging facilities. It will also offer centralized support services, including access to financing through microfinance institutions or banks, accounting and tax management, marketing assistance, and human resources support. Additionally, a one-stop tax shop will be established to simplify administrative procedures for entrepreneurs.
Under the agreement, the Transforme project will fund key components of the center's development. This includes rehabilitating the site, installing basic infrastructure and equipment, conducting technical studies, and providing subsidies to support 40 SMEs setting up operations at the center. While the total cost of this support has not been disclosed, the investment underscores the World Bank’s commitment to fostering private sector growth in the DRC.
Salama K.N Group has already secured a three-hectare plot in Kisoke village within Irumu territory for the project. According to Célestin Maombi Bahati, the site is equipped with a modern hangar, two tin sheds, a 500 kVA transformer for power supply, and two water wells capable of producing 160 m³ per day. Of the 50 SMEs the center plans to accommodate, 11 have already signed contracts with Salama. Three are currently operational on-site: one produces medical serums at a capacity of over 8,000 bottles per day, another manufactures corn flour, and a third produces liquid soap.
Bunia falls within the operational scope of the Transforme project, which has maintained an office there since June 2023. The initiative is also supporting informal businesses through its Entrepreneurship Promotion Training Program (FOPE), aimed at enhancing entrepreneurial, financial, and managerial skills.
Timothée Manoke (intern)
