The Democratic Republic of Congo is the second-largest country in Africa by area. It has a population of slightly over 89 million. Using ABiQ’s forecasting tool, we can confidently predict it will grow 23% over 10 years to reach 109.5 million.

Despite being one of the largest oil producers in Africa, The Democratic Republic of Congo is one of the poorest countries in the world. The country is rich with natural resources but has not been able to take advantage of it. The GDP was $49 billion or $500 per capita in 2019. The economy relies heavily on oil exports, however, agriculture and mining are also important contributors to the revenue generated.

Power and Water

Although the country has a wide range of renewable and non-renewable energy resources, it still has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world. DRC plans to improve its access to energy rate by generating more energy from renewable sources. Investment is required to help the country achieve its target. We expect the country will require 780 megawatts by 2030 to help maintain the existing power generation.

DRC is one of the most water-rich countries in Africa, yet over 50% of the population is unable to access safe water. There will be a peak in demand for potable water as the population grows and climate changes. We expect the country will need an additional 1,500 million cubic metres of potable water per annum over the next decade.

Retail:

DRC has untapped potential in its retail sector which is bound to grow once the working conditions improve. At the moment, power outages and difficult regulations are hinderances to a growth in the sector. We expect DRC will require an additional 2.3 million square metres of retail space by 2030.

Healthcare:

The healthcare sector has been struggling in DRC. The country has been battling measles, COVID-19 and now a recent Ebola outbreak has crippled the system. DRC needs more hospitals and resources to help the already fragile healthcare sector. We expect the country will need an additional 143 hospitals over 10 years to maintain the current sector and meet the needs of a growing population.

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