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Shalina Healthcare held a groundbreaking ceremony on March 16, 2026, for a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant in the Kin-Malebo special economic zone, located in the N'Sele commune of Kinshasa. According to the Congolese Press Agency (ACP), construction is set to begin on May 1, 2026, with construction expected to last 20 months and completion scheduled for January 5, 2028.
ACP reported that the project is part of a broader strategy to strengthen local pharmaceutical production in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Group Managing Director Abbas Virji said the initiative aims to reduce the country's dependence on imports and improve access to medicines.
Shalina Healthcare says it has been present in the DRC for more than 40 years. According to its website, the company operates more than 30 distribution points in the country, including in Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Goma, Bukavu, Matadi and Kisangani, and sells more than 200 prescription drugs, over-the-counter products and consumer health brands. It adds that it relies on WHO-approved production facilities in India and China for its international supply chain.
Local pharmaceutical production remains limited in the DRC, despite the existence of a few manufacturing units. Official records list Pharmakina, based in Bukavu, among the facilities authorized to produce locally, along with the Phatkin laboratory in Kinshasa. Pharmakina is a longstanding producer of quinine and cinchona-derived products. Other market players, such as Pharmans, focus on import, distribution and pharmaceutical promotion, with no reference to local manufacturing in their company information.
In this context, Shalina's project adds to existing local capacity and underscores efforts by Congolese authorities and private investors to expand domestic pharmaceutical production. Its location in the Kin-Malebo special economic zone is part of broader efforts to develop industrial infrastructure around Kinshasa.
Ronsard Luabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola will hold the third edition of their bilateral economic forum in Kinshasa from March 31 to April 3, 2026.
Vice-Prime Minister in charge of the National Economy Daniel Mukoko Samba announced the event at a Council of Ministers meeting on March 20. He also provided an update on preparations, according to the official report, which said the forum is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between the two countries and build a more structured economic partnership between Kinshasa and Luanda.
The change reflects a revision to the original schedule. In October 2025, authorities said the forum would take place in February 2026 in Muanda, in Kongo Central province. The Congolese government has since moved the event to Kinshasa at the end of March.
The meeting follows several weeks of consultations between the two countries. On March 16, a preparatory session of the DRC-Angola interministerial commission was held in Luanda to review ways to boost bilateral economic cooperation. Statements issued after the meeting said discussions focused on a future agreement covering trade in goods and services, investment, transport, logistics, industrial cooperation and the development of border areas.
The Kinshasa forum is part of a process launched in 2023. The first edition opened in Kinshasa on July 31 that year, focusing on economic partnership for shared growth. The second was held in Luanda on November 13-14, 2023, and was led by then Vice-Prime Minister Vital Kamerhe.
Beyond economic ties, closer cooperation between the two countries has also extended to security. On February 12, 2026, they signed an agreement in Luanda to establish a Permanent Joint Defence and Security Commission aimed at formalising coordination on regional and border issues.
PM
President Felix Tshisekedi has instructed sector ministries and the provincial government of Kongo Central to finalize cooperation agreements with the Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Grand Inga Project (ADPI-RDC) within 60 days. The directive was issued during a Council of Ministers meeting on March 20, 2026.
According to the official report, the relevant ministers must sign the agreements under the supervision of the prime minister. Copies must be sent to financial partners by April 3, 2026, at the latest. A progress report is expected within five days of that deadline. The move aims to speed up the establishment of the project's governance structure, after financing agreements with the World Bank took effect on Feb. 2, 2026.
At the same time, the head of state asked the government to urgently review the draft law on the Grand Inga project. The aim is for the Council of Ministers to adopt the text on March 27, 2026, before it is submitted to parliament by March 31. Officials describe the text as a key element in strengthening the project’s institutional framework and a requirement for mobilizing the financial support agreed with the World Bank.
Currently, the Inga 3 project is still in the preparation phase. The World Bank says its technical and financial details have not yet been finalized. Options under consideration could result in capacity ranging from about 3,000 MW to 11,000 MW, with total costs estimated at more than $10 billion.
To support this phase, a dedicated development program has been set up with World Bank backing. Part of a financing framework that could reach $1 billion, the program will be rolled out in stages. The first $250 million tranche was approved in June 2025. It aims to strengthen institutional capacity, prepare related infrastructure, and better manage the project’s economic, social and regional impacts.
Ronsard Luabeya
Equity Bank Congo posted a net profit of 24.7 billion Kenyan shillings in 2025, up 58% from about 15.6 billion a year earlier, according to full-year results published by Equity Group Holdings on March 18, 2026. Based on the group’s implied exchange rate, this corresponds to roughly $191.5 million.
Equity Group’s consolidated net profit reached 75.5 billion shillings in 2025, or about $585 million, with the Congo subsidiary contributing around 32.7% of the total.
The Democratic Republic of Congo remains the group’s top profit-generating subsidiary, well ahead of Rwanda (5.4 billion shillings), Uganda (3.6 billion) and Tanzania (2.7 billion). Equity Group said the Congo unit’s performance was supported in part by a 17% expansion in its loan portfolio.
Equity Group’s share price on the Nairobi Securities Exchange has reflected this momentum. Between March 19, 2025 and March 19, 2026, the stock rose from 47.35 shillings to 76.50 shillings, a gain of about 61.6%.
At a hypothetical exchange rate of 129 shillings to the dollar, a $300 investment would have bought about 817 shares, worth roughly $485 a year later. Under the same assumptions, a $1,000 investment would have represented around 2,724 shares, with a value of about $1,615 at the same date.
Dividend raised 35%
The board has recommended a total dividend of 21.7 billion shillings, or 5.75 shillings per share, up 35.3% from 16 billion shillings, or 4.25 per share, paid for 2024.
Subject to shareholder approval, the dividend will be paid to shareholders on the register at the close of business on May 22, 2026. At the same exchange rate, the two hypothetical investors would receive about $36 and $121 in dividends, respectively.
In its macroeconomic commentary, Equity Group said growth across several East African economies, including the DRC, is being driven by a minerals boom. It cited higher prices for gold, copper and coffee, alongside lower oil and wheat prices and a weaker dollar, as supporting regional activity.
The bank added that despite heightened geopolitical risks linked to the conflict involving Iran, the impact on the regional economy should be temporary. It expects oil prices, after peaking near $100 a barrel, to fall toward the mid-$60s in the event of a ceasefire, helping stabilise trade and inflation.
Timothée Manoke
The Democratic Republic of Congo signed a geological data partnership agreement with the European Union on March 19 in Kinshasa. Congo's mines minister, Louis Watum, and the EU delegation's chargé d'affaires ad interim in the DRC, Fabrice Basile, signed the accord, under which the country will participate in PanAfGeo+ Invest, an EU-funded program aimed at strengthening geological services and subsurface data management across Africa.
In the DRC, the program will consolidate the national geoscientific database, preserve historical archives, carry out geological surveys across several provinces and conduct studies in selected artisanal mining areas. The objective is twofold: to improve knowledge of Congo's subsoil and to better guide investment decisions.
PanAfGeo+ Invest builds on the original PanAfGeo program, which ran from 2016 to 2024 and trained nearly 1,750 African geoscientists. Through the new program, the EU plans to invest 45 million euros across seven African countries between 2026 and 2029 to support technological capacity and geoscience development. The DRC will receive nearly 11 million euros, or roughly a quarter of the total funding.
BRGM's Coordinating Role
For the Bureau de recherches géologiques et minières (BRGM), which coordinates the program, the aim is to support projects aligned with European partners’ priorities. In that context, the EU announced on March 19 an additional 6 million euros to complete the digitization of geological archives held at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium. The digitization project, which began in 2023, is one of the reasons Brussels has cited for opposing a separate digitization contract the DRC awarded to American company KoBold Metals covering the same archives.
The fate of the KoBold Metals contract remains unclear. "The country’s subsoil is part of its national heritage. All partners who help us better understand this heritage are welcome. We will work with them," mines minister Watum said.
These developments expand the EU’s access to geological data in the DRC, which has become a strategic lever in the international competition for critical minerals. Earlier this year, Spanish company Xcalibur also secured a $298 million contract for airborne geophysical mapping and geological survey work across the DRC.
Boaz Kabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo is undergoing an ICAO civil aviation security audit at N’djili airport in Kinshasa and Luano airport in Lubumbashi from March 18 to 30, 2026.
According to the Transport Ministry, the mission is part of routine international oversight of aviation security standards. ICAO experts met with Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Jean-Pierre Bemba to discuss the objectives of the evaluation, coordinated with the Civil Aviation Authority (AAC/RDC).
The audit aims to assess compliance with international requirements, evaluate progress made in recent years and identify gaps.
AAC/RDC data show that the country’s compliance rate rose from 11.4% in 2006 to 50% in 2018 and 66.52% in 2023, indicating steady improvement in oversight.
Ahead of the audit, Bemba conducted an inspection at Luano International Airport in Lubumbashi on March 17, focusing on strengthening security systems, including the commissioning of new screening equipment acquired by the Régie des voies aériennes (RVA), the national airport authority.
Separately, RVA signed a 10-year partnership in May 2024 with British company Westminster Group PLC. The agreement includes the deployment of international experts, staff training and the modernization of security equipment at five airports: Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Goma, Kisangani and Mbuji-Mayi.
The government has also launched an airport lighting program to improve operations. In November 2025, authorities announced the acquisition of around 350 kilometers of cables to equip several airport facilities.
The program is expected to expand airport capacity, particularly by enabling night operations, as many secondary facilities are currently limited to daytime flights.
Ronsard Luabeya
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) held a three-day training session for economic journalists in Kinshasa from March 17 to 19, 2026, in collaboration with Ecofin Agency and Bankable. The initiative is part of broader efforts to strengthen the capacity of media professionals covering economic and financial issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Fifteen journalists from various media outlets in the capital participated in the program. Over three days, the training introduced participants to key macroeconomic concepts at the national, regional and international levels, with the aim of improving their ability to analyze, interpret and contextualize economic and financial information.
The curriculum covered macroeconomic fundamentals, the functioning of fiscal and monetary policy, the role of the IMF, and the use of artificial intelligence in processing economic data. Particular emphasis was placed on making these concepts easier for a wider audience to understand.
Speaking at the opening session, IMF resident representative in the DRC René Tapsoba highlighted the role of journalists in disseminating clear and reliable economic information. In a context marked by economic reforms and structural challenges, he said high-quality news coverage is critical to strengthening transparency and accountability.
“In the era of digitalization and social media, where information spreads rapidly and is not always well analyzed, it is essential to have journalists who rely on credible sources, understand the underlying issues and explain them clearly,” he said.
Idriss Linge, director of Ecofin Academy and lead trainer, stressed the importance of equipping journalists with strong analytical skills to better interpret macroeconomic developments and their impact on the population.
“The objective is to train journalists in the Democratic Republic of Congo who can analyze economic developments rigorously using established tools, for investors, development partners, as well as Congolese households and businesses,” he said at the close of the session, which he co-led with Aboudi Ottou, Ecofin Agency’s bureau chief in the DRC and editor-in-chief of Bankable.
At the end of the training, participants said they were satisfied with both the quality of the sessions and their relevance to daily reporting. They particularly valued the interactive discussions and case studies based on the national economic context.
Jerome Sekana, a journalist with Agence Galaxie Médias, said he was “pleasantly surprised” by the relevance of the content.
“The trainers are highly experienced and the examples reflect the country’s economic realities. I hope this type of initiative continues to help build a strong pool of analysts capable of interpreting economic news,” he said.
Myriam Iragi, a journalist with Top Congo FM, also welcomed the training, highlighting the practical knowledge she gained.
“I learned a great deal about concepts I had sometimes used without fully understanding them. This training gives me a solid foundation to improve my analysis and provide more in-depth coverage,” she said.
Ronsard Luabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Mines said on March 18, 2026, it had deployed a joint inspection mission to the Tenke Fungurume Mining (TFM) site, a subsidiary of China Molybdenum Company (CMOC), following allegations of air pollution affecting communities in Lualaba province.
The decision followed a report by the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) citing deteriorating air quality around the mine.
The ministry said the allegations are, at this stage, largely based on unverified claims that have not been confirmed through scientific and technical methods.
The mission will conduct in-depth technical assessments, including air quality monitoring, checks on industrial discharge compliance, and verification of adherence to environmental and social standards. A report is expected at the end of the investigation and could lead to administrative, environmental or judicial action.
The decision to deploy the mission was made during a consultation meeting with TFM executives on March 18. The company was also asked to provide evidence of compliance with its environmental obligations.
EIA report focuses on processing plant
The EIA report focuses primarily on TFM’s processing plant, known as 30K, where CMOC converts copper-cobalt ore into cobalt hydroxide.
The plant, the largest of its kind globally, was commissioned in 2023. Since then, the report says, elevated sulfur dioxide levels have been recorded in the area, along with a rise in respiratory illnesses.
The NGO said its findings are based on an analysis of more than 1,200 medical records, citing cases of coughs, bronchitis and pneumonia among nearby residents and some workers. TFM disputes the findings and rejects any link between its operations and the reported health problems.
The inspection comes as authorities step up environmental oversight in DR Congo’s mining sector. In January 2026, they required mining companies to provide proof that financial guarantees for site rehabilitation had been secured and to submit approved environmental plans.
CMOC is one of the leading mining operators in DR Congo. Through its subsidiaries TFM and Kisanfu, the group exported 747,468 metric tons of copper in 2025, according to provisional data, accounting for 22% of the country’s total exports.
The company is also a major cobalt producer. Before the 2025 embargo, it exported nearly 96,000 metric tons of cobalt, representing about 50% of national output.
Ronsard Luabeya
The Congolese government said the country’s fuel supply remains stable despite disruptions in global energy markets linked to the Middle East security crisis.
A briefing presented at the Council of Ministers meeting on March 13 said current stocks are sufficient to meet domestic demand through June. The government described the situation as broadly stable.
Several tankers carrying petroleum products are expected in the coming weeks to replenish stocks and support domestic distribution.
The statement follows a proposal on March 9 to build a strategic reserve of at least 50,000 tonnes of land and aviation fuels. Reported by RTNC and relayed by Bankable, the plan was presented as a precaution against potential shortages in an uncertain global environment.
Internationally, authorities pointed to disruptions caused by Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz and the Suez Canal—two key routes for global oil flows. According to the government, these routes handle roughly 20% and 10% of global oil traffic, respectively.
Data cited by TV5 Monde showed a sharp decline in maritime traffic. Between March 1 and March 18, only 105 vessels transited the strait, compared with about 120 per day under normal conditions, indicating a significant disruption to global logistics.
In this context, authorities expect higher import costs. A rise in the average border price, known as PMF and used to set domestic fuel prices, could affect the local market.
The government said short-, medium- and long-term measures have been introduced to maintain supply stability, limit fiscal pressure and keep the market stable. Details were not disclosed.
Timothée Manoke
The Maluku Special Economic Zone (SEZ), located about 70 kilometers northeast of Kinshasa, is being equipped with a river dock to improve freight logistics, the Special Economic Zones Agency (AZES) said in a statement on March 16, 2026.
Inaugurated on March 13, the facility was financed by Saphir Ceramics, a manufacturer of tiles and ceramic products. It is intended to facilitate shipments to Congo-Brazzaville and to other provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo served by river routes. Company officials said the dock would also support export operations for other businesses in the Maluku SEZ.
Several companies are already operating in the zone, including Varun Beverages RDC; Sopaco, which processes agricultural products; K Timber in logging; Eben Ezer International, active across several industrial sectors including paper; and Hema Beverage and Refriango in the agri-food sector.
Saphir Ceramics has also led export activity. In March 2025, the Chinese-owned company shipped more than 300,000 square meters of tiles to Congo-Brazzaville. The first of its kind in the DRC, it has an estimated production capacity of 70,000 square meters per day.
Ronsard Luabeya
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The Congolese government has unveiled a plan to retake control of a mining concession in Kakanda, in Lualaba province, after a landslide killed 11 people on the night of March 10-11, 2026. The site belongs to Boss Mining, a subsidiary of Eurasian Resources Group (ERG), and has been occupied by illegal miners.
In a statement dated March 17, authorities announced a series of measures focused on evacuating the site, relocating artisanal miners and securing the concession.
The plan includes identifying and gradually relocating artisanal miners to designated artisanal mining zones, known by their French acronym ZEA, to move them away from industrial concessions. The process will be overseen by SAEMAPE, the state agency responsible for supporting and supervising artisanal and small-scale mining, in coordination with provincial authorities.
“This arrangement is intended to provide legitimate operators with legal and safe working conditions outside industrial areas, while ensuring ongoing technical and security support from state services,” the mines ministry said. The goal is to restore Boss Mining’s full rights over the concession (PE 469). Authorities added they would take the necessary steps to fully secure the site, allowing industrial operations to resume once illegal activity has been cleared.
ERG’s concessions have faced repeated incursions by illegal miners for several years. The Boss Mining site was overrun after the company suspended operations in 2023 following a series of incidents. According to the company, these incursions can involve more than 200 trucks per day transporting copper and cobalt, resulting in estimated losses of $1.8 million daily.
In response, ERG signed a memorandum of understanding on Feb. 10, 2026, with Entreprise Générale du Cobalt (EGC). The agreement aims to formalize artisanal mining through supervised zones, traceability systems and improved working conditions, while keeping this production separate from industrial supply chains.
Restoring state authority
Authorities acknowledge the scale of the problem, which has reached the highest levels of government.
“Artisanal mining is becoming a serious problem. Many of our compatriots working as artisanal miners are dying. There is also the invasion of industrial sites, which damages the DRC’s image abroad and raises concerns about its ability to protect investments. We are very concerned about this situation. These issues are being addressed at the highest level, and we are confident that solutions will be found,” Jean-Marie Kanda, President Félix Tshisekedi’s senior adviser on mining, said in a podcast by consultancy Innogence Consulting released in January.
Mines Minister Louis Watum Kabamba, who has repeatedly been urged to act, said he is working on the issue alongside the interior ministry to restore state authority. Illegal operators are widely believed to have the backing of senior political figures and members of the security forces. The issue was recently discussed at a meeting of the Mining Fraud Commission, which brought together both ministries.
In its March 17 statement, the mines ministry reaffirmed its commitment to ending illegal mining and accelerating the formalization of the artisanal sector. It said processing entities that sourced minerals from illegal sites remain suspended and that the case has been referred to the judiciary to prosecute those involved in illicit mining.
However, some measures have been slow to materialize. The identification of 64 ZEAs in Lualaba, announced in November 2025 following a fatal accident at the Kalando site, had not been completed as of February. According to Mining Registry Director General Popol Mabolia, only around ten zones had been identified at that stage, and these still needed to be made operational before being allocated to cooperatives and artisanal miners.
Pierre Mukoko & Boaz Kabeya
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s digital economy minister has introduced a new regulatory framework for certain digital activities and services in the country.
In an order signed on March 11, 2026, Digital Economy Minister Augustin Kibassa Maliba outlined the procedures for reviewing applications and granting authorizations for activities requiring prior approval under the Digital Code.
The order provides a transitional period until June 30, 2026, for affected operators to comply with the new requirements. From July 1, 2026, the provisions will take full effect.
The measure does not apply to all digital operators. It covers only activities and services that require authorization.
Affected entities include operators building data centers; qualified trust service providers (including electronic signatures, seals, timestamping, archiving, certification, website authentication, electronic registered mail and cryptology); application hosting providers; certain large digital platforms such as cloud services, online marketplaces, app stores, social networks, content-sharing platforms, online banking platforms, fintech firms, matchmaking platforms and search engines; as well as essential digital services.
During the transition period, responsibility for processing authorization applications has been assigned to the Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of Congo (ARPTC). The regulator will verify the completeness and compliance of application files, assess applicants’ legal, technical, organizational and financial capacity, and issue a recommendation to the minister, who retains final decision-making authority.
Authorizations valid for five years
To obtain authorization, applicants must submit a file including legal, tax, technical and administrative documents, a detailed description of the relevant activities, and a business plan.
Authorizations are valid for five years and may be renewed. They do not exempt holders from complying with other applicable legal and regulatory obligations.
The order also includes administrative sanctions in cases of non-compliance, including fines, reduced validity periods, suspension or withdrawal of authorization. Operating without the required authorization may also expose operators to penalties under existing legislation.
Through this order, the government aims to implement the Digital Code and tighten oversight of segments of Congo’s digital economy deemed strategic or sensitive.
Copper Intelligence, formerly African Discovery Group (AFDG), announced on March 3, 2026, the deployment of a drill rig at its Butembo copper project in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in partnership with South African company Gemdrill. The campaign aims to further assess the site’s geology.
According to the company’s timeline, and subject to potential delays due to customs procedures and road conditions, drilling could begin in mid-April 2026, with preliminary core sample analyses expected in early May.
Copper Intelligence said it has deployed an XY-44 drill rig. Manufacturer specifications indicate that this type of equipment can reach depths of up to around 1,000 meters, depending on configuration, target diameter and ground conditions. This capacity could enable testing of mineralization continuity at depth, although actual performance will depend on site-specific conditions and the equipment used.
Preliminary grades
The copper grades reported at this stage are based on initial results published by the company in October 2025. The data are derived from artisanal shafts and Phase 1 work conducted along the floodplain of the Talihya River over a stretch of about 500 meters. The company reported grades of up to 18% copper at one point and 16.3% at another.
It noted, however, that these figures do not constitute a resource estimate or reserves, but reflect early-stage surface sampling results.
At this stage, the data do not confirm the existence of a continuous or economically viable deposit. The drilling campaign is intended to verify mineralization continuity at depth and to better define the project’s potential.
The company also pointed to the site’s location, approximately 33 kilometers from the DRC-Uganda border, with potential access to the East African corridor leading to the port of Mombasa in Kenya. This logistical advantage remains a company claim at this stage and depends on successful geological confirmation and subsequent project development.
Copper Intelligence is listed on OTC Markets’ OTC Pink segment, which is subject to less stringent reporting and listing requirements than major U.S. exchanges such as the NYSE or Nasdaq.
Timothée Manoke
The Democratic Republic of Congo and South Africa plan to resume discussions on the Inga 3 hydroelectric project in April 2026, according to a March 12 statement by the Congolese Ministry of Hydraulic Resources and Electricity.
South Africa's Minister of Electricity and Energy, Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, has confirmed an official visit to the DRC to advance work on renewing and updating bilateral energy cooperation agreements tied to the project, the ministry said.
A political memorandum of understanding already exists between the DRC and South Africa to export 2,500 megawatts, according to the World Bank's Inga 3 project document. The institution also noted that the two countries must continue discussions to renew that agreement and increase the export target to 5,000 megawatts.
The World Bank further noted that the development of Inga 3 could reshape the DRC’s role in regional electricity trade, enabling the country to supply not only its domestic market but also several African power pools, including the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and the Central African Power Pool (CAPP). The bank described the project as a potential source of export revenue, as well as a tool to secure power supply to Kinshasa and the industrial corridor around the Inga site.
Financing and new agreements
According to the Congolese ministry, authorities are also preparing to sign a memorandum of understanding with the Agency for the Development and Promotion of the Grand Inga Project (ADPI) to develop the financing structure of Inga 3 with World Bank support. On Feb. 2, 2026, the French Development Agency (AFD) and ADPI had already signed a memorandum of understanding in Kinshasa to support project preparation.
Inga 3 remains at the preparation stage. The World Bank noted that its final specifications have not yet been determined, with options under study ranging from approximately 4,800 megawatts to 11,000 megawatts, at an estimated cost expected to exceed $10 billion. The institution stressed the need not only to prepare the project itself, but also to ensure the country is ready for it, given its institutional, social, territorial and financial scale.
To that end, the Inga 3 Development Program was established, backed by $1 billion in World Bank funding over a ten-year period, divided into four phases of $250 million each. The first tranche was approved on June 3, 2025.
Pending an investment decision, the steps now underway primarily reflect Kinshasa’s push to reactivate diplomatic, technical and financial partnerships around a project that Congolese authorities regard as central to the country’s national energy strategy.
Ronsard Luabeya