Kinshasa, “Kin la belle”: capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a city of more than ten million people, often described as the largest French-speaking city in the world.
The DRC is the land of icons who make African identity proud, from Patrice Lumumba to Dr Denis Mukwege, Nobel Peace laureate, and musicians such as Papa Wemba, Fally Ipupa and Lokua Kanza. It is also a country too often reduced to headlines: disease, war, insecurity, poverty and corruption.
Before I went, all I knew of Kinshasa came from its diaspora in France and Belgium, and from a few remarkable Kinois friends. I had to see for myself, and ask one question: what are the good sides of Kinshasa?
Arriving at night
I landed on 11 April 2019, after midnight, after a long journey with an eight-hour transit in Abidjan. I had four days. I was invited to speak at Kinshasa Digital Week about Benin’s digital experience and what our administration had achieved in two years, so I was warmly received.
On the long road from the airport to my hotel, three things struck me: a roadside church still full after one in the morning, a city with little lighting, and an urban contrast reminiscent of Lagos, where upscale districts, universities, military camps and informal settlements sit side by side.
The Kinois
The real discovery was the people. Kinois can seem very familiar at first (the informal “tu” is never far), but they are welcoming, warm and generous with their time.
In two days I met a creative, educated and alert youth, an ecosystem in full transformation and a Beninese diaspora fully integrated into the city. Innovation hubs, startup academies, social-impact projects: I discovered open-minded, curious and proudly pan-African people.
Kinshasa is a living city, full of potential: advanced in fintech and financial inclusion, with an entrepreneurial fever. I had never seen so many women on conference panels, often the majority, speaking about digital, social impact and innovation. During the event, government representatives stayed for both days and took the time to talk with the private sector, alongside global tech and media companies, incubators, banks and startups.
Falling for the city
In short, I fell in love with Kinshasa and its people. I started to feel at home: buying internet credit from street vendors, eating grilled chicken with makemba (fried plantain). I did not have time to visit the Academy of Fine Arts, taste the famous liboké, see the bonobos, or cross the river to Brazzaville, just minutes away by boat. I will go back.
If you are an entrepreneur with an adventurous spirit, and you already know Lagos, Kinshasa is a city you must discover.
A note from 2026
Much has happened since my visit. President Félix Tshisekedi, newly elected in 2019, was re-elected in 2023, and the conflict in the east of the country has worsened in recent years. Kinshasa is far from those front lines, but always check current travel advice before you go. At the time, travellers also paid a departure fee at the airport; check what applies today, and bring US dollars.
That is our Africa. Let’s keep taking things in our stride, and keep looking at the bright side.
Bakala té!
