Unveiling the $12 Billion China‑Congo Industrial City

On 23 October 2025, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) entered a new industrial era when Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka supervised the signing of a construction agreement with the Sino-Congo Special Zone (SCSZ) consortium.

The contract authorises development of the China‑Congo Industrial City, a 75‑km² special economic zone stretching from Kinshasa eastward towards Maluku. According to the SCSZ and the Congolese government, the first phase alone represents a US$12 billion investment, will host 1,200 industrial units, and could create up to 150,000 direct and indirect jobs. This agreement signifies the DRC’s commitment to transitioning beyond a primarily extractive economy and positioning Kinshasa as the hub of regional manufacturing and logistics.

Background: the Kinshasa expansion and the SCSZ consortium

The industrial city is part of Kinshasa Kia Mona, an ambitious US$50 billion extension project designed to decongest the capital. The extension will build a new city on 43,000 ha of land in Maluku, about 45 km east of Kinshasa. Radio Okapi reports that the modern extension is designed to house up to 5 million residents and is being financed through public‑private partnerships rather than the state budget. Besides residential and commercial neighbourhoods, the master plan includes a financial district, hospitals, a university, and an industrial city with 1,500 factories, expected to generate approximately 30,000 jobs upon launch.

The industrial component will be built by the Sino‑Congo Special Zone (SCSZ), a consortium formed by Chinese investors led by China State Construction Engineering and Congolese partners. In September 2025, Bankable revealed that the zone was initially costed at US$8 billion, encompassing eight industrial parks across 5,000 ha, a 2,000-ha commercial district, and a 500‑ha workers’ quarter. The 7,500-ha site enjoys easy access to the Congo River and major roads and will offer tax and customs incentives as a special economic zone. The new October agreement increases the project’s budget to US$12 billion and clarifies that the industrial city will cover 75 km² (7,500 ha), demonstrating the government’s expanded ambitions.

Details of the deal: scale, structure, and jobs

Under the terms of the 23 October convention, the China‑Congo Industrial City will:

• Occupy 75 km² (7,500 ha) during its first phase, making it one of the largest industrial sites in Central Africa

• Mobilise US$12 billion in investment, funded by a mix of the SCSZ consortium and Congolese private partners.

• Build 1,200 industrial units catering to agro‑industry, light manufacturing, metals processing, and technology.. Earlier plans envisaged eight industrial parks and a 5,000-ha factory zone, giving a sense of scale.