Vietnam’s Vingroup has provided further details on a planned green mobility project in Kinshasa, following a preliminary agreement signed with the city in October.

In a Dec. 29 statement, Vingroup said it signed a trilateral memorandum of understanding on Dec. 24 with Kinshasa’s provincial ministry in charge of transport and urban mobility and a Congolese company, Exposure Sarl. The memorandum sets out a framework for cooperation to develop a modern, sustainable and accessible urban transport system.

Vingroup, through its electric vehicle unit VinFast, plans to introduce between 60,000 and 120,000 electric vehicles to the local market. This includes 10,000 to 20,000 cars and 50,000 to 100,000 scooters. The initiative is part of a broader strategy to develop a full green mobility ecosystem in Kinshasa.

Roadmap

The initial phase of the project, running through the end of the first quarter of 2026, is expected to deploy an initial fleet of about 500 electric buses and 1,000 electric cars for public transport operations. The parties have agreed on a roadmap covering the period from the signing of the memorandum to the end of Q1 2026.

Under the plan, Exposure Sarl will be responsible for preparing a detailed business plan, including vehicle acquisition, the development of maintenance and repair infrastructure for electric vehicles, and the launch of the administrative and legal procedures required for import, distribution and operations.

Over the same period, VinFast will submit detailed technical and commercial proposals for fleets of electric buses, cars and scooters intended for the Kinshasa market. A dedicated authority will be appointed to manage and oversee the electric bus fleet, the statement said.

Kinshasa will propose sites for the installation of charging infrastructure, as previously announced in October. It will also work on tax incentives and a regulatory framework to support the adoption of green mobility solutions, while ensuring a reliable electricity supply for the project.

Complete green ecosystem

The announcement follows Vingroup’s ambitions outlined in October 2025, when the group discussed the gradual conversion of around 300,000 internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles in Kinshasa.

"The deployment of green and smart mobility solutions will gradually transform Kinshasa’s urban transport landscape and create long-term value by improving residents’ quality of life and supporting the city’s sustainable development goals, Phuong Nguyen," CEO of Vingroup Africa, said.

The parties also plan to develop a wide network of charging stations and authorised after-sales service centres to ensure operational stability and user convenience. The project includes training programmes for drivers, technicians and on-site operational staff, as well as technical support for the design of electrified transport infrastructure.

Beyond mobility

Limited information is available on the Congolese partner Exposure Sarl. At the signing of the memorandum, the company was represented by Fely Samuna, who is also managing director of Kerith Resources. Kerith Resources is the Congolese partner of Japanese multinational Asia Minerals Limited in a manganese mining and processing project in Kongo Central province.

The signing comes weeks after specialised economic media reported a planned Vingroup investment of about $28 million in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the creation of a local subsidiary, Vingroup DRC Holdings Sarl. The subsidiary is expected to be based in Kinshasa and to develop projects, including in real estate.

Projects discussed at the October 2025 signing between Vingroup and Kinshasa also included urban expansion. The group expressed interest in a 6,300-hectare urban development project comprising residential areas, villas, apartments, hospitals, schools, shopping malls, hotels, leisure facilities and a future administrative district for ministries and government agencies. According to VinFast, the city would provide the land for the project free of charge.

Timothée Manoke