In the DRC, the telecommunication sector is undergoing significant modernization. To ensure its overall development, the country can rely on strategic partners such as the World Bank, which plays a key role in supporting this transformation.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) will support the telecommunication sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The decision was announced during a meeting on Tuesday, September 8, between the Minister of Posts, Telecommunications, and Digitalization, Augustin Kibassa Maliba (photo, left), and Mary Porter Peschka (photo, right), IFC’s Regional Director for East Africa.

“We discussed the willingness  [of]  the International Finance Corporation to support the Congolese government in the development of the telecommunications sector. The telecommunications sector is of paramount importance, both for the DRC and for our group,” said Mary Porter Peschka.

This initiative is part of the DRC's National Digital Plan (Horizon 2025) which makes telecommunications a key sector. The country is already seeing positive effects from this momentum, with mobile phone subscribers increasing by 6.4 million, from 49.8 million in 2022 to 56.2 million in December 2023, according to the Congolese Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority. Meanwhile, mobile market revenues in the DRC reached 11.898 billion CFA francs ($19.9 million) in July 2023, a 9.7% increase compared to the previous year.

The IFC’s support in the DRC will focus on several strategic areas, including strengthening digital skills and developing and modernizing digital infrastructure, among others. The overarching goal is to create a favorable environment for innovation and investment by attracting new private sector players while boosting the competitiveness of local businesses.

Samira Njoya