Kinshasa’s long-awaited central market, known locally as Zando, is finally nearing completion. Governor Daniel Bumba announced during a site visit on June 21, 2025, that the market could reopen in just over three months. He made the visit alongside members of the Provincial Assembly bureau.

Bumba reported that construction work has reached 90% completion. The remaining tasks include finishing 5,000 market stalls and installing septic tanks and boreholes to guarantee the market’s autonomous water supply.

This announcement comes after rising pressure from traders who recently mobilized to demand the reopening of the market. Authorities closed Zando in January 2021 to launch modernization work, a decision that initially triggered widespread public protests.

The central market overhaul stems from a public-private partnership between the city of Kinshasa and French firm Sogema. Construction was outsourced to the Chinese company SZTC. The project is backed by a $44.5 million loan from Sofibanque.

Although initial plans scheduled completion for November 2023, several factors caused delays. Among them were a late project start and complications linked to the development of access roads.

Despite setbacks, the scale of the market remains impressive. Spread over 80,500 square meters, Zando is expected to house 80,000 stalls, 40 cold rooms, 270 toilets, and 22 units for commercial banks. These figures were released in 2024 by former governor Gentiny Ngobila. He also projected the market could create "over 500,000 jobs."

According to the Public Expenditure Observatory (Odep) and the Congolese League Against Corruption (Licoco), the operating contract grants Sogema control of the market for 25 years. They called this duration “arbitrarily fixed, without prior study on financial, economic profitability, or environmental impact.” In contrast, provincial authorities defend the deal. They point to the quality and durability of the infrastructure, which they estimate has a lifespan of 150 years.

This article was initially published in French by Timothée Manoke (Intern)

Key Highlights

• Marriott International to launch Protea and Four Points hotels in Kinshasa by end-2025.
• The move is part of a broader plan to open over 50 hotels across Africa by 2027.
• Entry into DRC follows Radisson's recent announcement of new hotels in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi.

Marriott International announced plans on June 18 to open two hotels in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), by the end of 2025. The company confirmed it will introduce Protea Hotel by Marriott and Four Points by Sheraton brands to the country.

Marriott did not disclose project details, investment figures, or development partners. However, the U.S.-based hotel giant typically collaborates with local or regional investors in African markets. Past partnerships include projects with Amdec in Morocco and Letsatsi in Botswana under the same brands.

The new Kinshasa hotels are part of Marriott’s aggressive expansion strategy in Africa, aimed at tapping into rising tourism, business travel, and improving economic outlooks. The company said it plans to open more than 50 hotels and 9,000 rooms across the continent by end-2027.

New destinations include Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Madagascar, and Mauritania, reflecting growing investor confidence in previously underdeveloped markets.

Marriott, majority-owned by major U.S. investment firms such as Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street, currently operates in over 144 countries, managing more than 9,000 hotels and nearly 1.7 million rooms globally.

The company’s entry into the DRC market follows a similar move by Radisson Hotel Group, owned by China's Jin Jiang International. Radisson announced in May it will open two hotels in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi, scheduled for late 2026 and mid-2027, respectively.

This article was initially published in French by Ronsard Luabeya (Intern)

Edited in English by Ange Jason Quenum