CRDB Bank Congo, the Congolese subsidiary of Tanzania’s CRDB Bank Group, has opened a branch in Kinshasa, the capital, more than two years after securing an operating licence in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The new branch, located in the Gombe municipality, marks the bank’s first physical presence in Kinshasa, the country’s largest banking market. Previously, CRDB Bank Congo operated only in Lubumbashi, where its headquarters are based.

The opening ceremony on Dec. 12 was attended by Kinshasa’s provincial minister for finance, economy and digitalisation, Magloire Kabemba Kabemba, representing the city’s governor, the bank said. Officials from the public and private sectors, including representatives of the Central Bank of Congo and Tanzania’s ambassador to the DRC, were also present.

The move is in line with the group’s strategy. In its 2024 annual report, CRDB said its Congolese subsidiary had launched targeted initiatives to attract strategic clients in Kinshasa, while strengthening brand visibility and laying the groundwork for market entry.

Kinshasa dominates national banking activity. A 2023 study by consultancy Target Sarl found that 42% of the country’s bank branches and service points were located in the capital.

The Kinshasa branch could allow CRDB Bank Congo to broaden its client base and reduce its reliance on government securities. The bank’s earnings remain heavily concentrated in Treasury bonds.

According to its first-half 2025 Pillar 3 report, interest income from Treasury bonds reached about 8 billion Congolese francs, accounting for roughly 77% of net banking income of 10.4 billion francs. Net interest and commission income from customer operations, including lending, totalled 1.6 billion francs, or around 15.6% of the period’s net banking income.

Timothée Manoke