It is not impossible to do business in DR Congo. It is only that firms cannot see the “possible” paths to do so. The Democratic Republic of Congo is expected to grow at 6% in 2012, far outpacing growth in Western markets, according to the IMF. It is a country rich in minerals, land, and water, as well as possessing a consumer market in excess of 70 million. Charlotte Africa Business Week strives to demystify this French-speaking country to attendees to promote business opportunities benefitting both foreign firms and local DRC firms.
“People are often surprised at the growth rate in DR Congo because of the focus in the media on the conflict minerals and issues with militias in a small region there,” says Lauri Elliott, Director of Afribiz Media, “If people looked at a map and appropriate scale of DR Congo, they would begin to understand this accounts for a small portion of the country.” DR Congo is a post-conflict country not unlike Sierra Leone, which has made tremendous progress in the last five years. “The key to unlocking business opportunities for firms is for them to understand the ways to do business there,” says Elliott. “It is not impossible to do business in DR Congo. It is only that firms cannot see the ‘possible’ paths to do so.” A special focus session on doing business in DR Congo is scheduled for Doing Business in Fast-Growing Africa: A Focus on Regional Markets and Economic Hubs on Friday, April 27, 2012 in Charlotte, NC. The DR Congo delegation is being led by Kabala Muselemu, Deputy Manager of the DR Congo Ministry of Mines, and Ambassador Jules Mbungu, DRC ambassador to Libya.
The business representation among the DR Congo delegation includes Claude Ibalanky, CEO of Bantu Investments, who has successfully franchised Nando’s restaurants (a global brand from South Africa and also franchised in the US) in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo. Ibalanky will share how to transform the large informal, cash market in DR Congo into a profitable retail market from his own experience. For further information and to register for the conference, go to http://www.afribiz.info/content/doing-business-in-fast-growing-africa-a-focus…. For further information on Charlotte Africa Business Week, visit http://www.charlotteafrica.com. 
“People are often surprised at the growth rate in DR Congo because of the focus in the media on the conflict minerals and issues with militias in a small region there,” says Lauri Elliott, Director of Afribiz Media, “If people looked at a map and appropriate scale of DR Congo, they would begin to understand this accounts for a small portion of the country.” DR Congo is a post-conflict country not unlike Sierra Leone, which has made tremendous progress in the last five years. “The key to unlocking business opportunities for firms is for them to understand the ways to do business there,” says Elliott. “It is not impossible to do business in DR Congo. It is only that firms cannot see the ‘possible’ paths to do so.” A special focus session on doing business in DR Congo is scheduled for Doing Business in Fast-Growing Africa: A Focus on Regional Markets and Economic Hubs on Friday, April 27, 2012 in Charlotte, NC. The DR Congo delegation is being led by Kabala Muselemu, Deputy Manager of the DR Congo Ministry of Mines, and Ambassador Jules Mbungu, DRC ambassador to Libya.
The business representation among the DR Congo delegation includes Claude Ibalanky, CEO of Bantu Investments, who has successfully franchised Nando’s restaurants (a global brand from South Africa and also franchised in the US) in Kinshasa, the capital of DR Congo. Ibalanky will share how to transform the large informal, cash market in DR Congo into a profitable retail market from his own experience. For further information and to register for the conference, go to http://www.afribiz.info/content/doing-business-in-fast-growing-africa-a-focus…. For further information on Charlotte Africa Business Week, visit http://www.charlotteafrica.com.
