Kinshasa- DR Congo’s Minister of Economy, Daniel Mukolo Samba, has announced that starting November 2025, foreigners will no longer be allowed to operate small businesses in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Speaking at a meeting with traders in Kinshasa on September 16, 2025, the minister explained that the rule is not new. A law dating back to 1973 reserved small-scale commerce exclusively for Congolese citizens. However, in practice, successive governments granted exemptions that opened the sector to foreign traders.

“We have a law since 1973 that reserves small businesses for Congolese. Its implementation caused problems, so the Prime Ministers gave exemptions to foreigners in certain areas. That exemption will end in November,” Samba said.

New Law in the Works

The minister noted that a new legal framework will soon be adopted to clearly define what qualifies as a small business. This is aimed at closing loopholes and preventing foreigners from exploiting grey areas in the law. While the official list of activities reserved for Congolese has not yet been released, Samba indicated it will be ready before November.

A Regional Trend

Congo’s move mirrors developments elsewhere in East Africa. In July 2025, Tanzania issued the Business Licensing (Prohibition of Business Activities for Non-Citizens) Order, 2025, barring foreigners from 15 business sectors. These include small retail shops, mobile money kiosks, salons, phone repair outlets, and small-scale mining. Non-citizens caught violating the rules face fines, jail time, and possible revocation of residence permits.

By aligning with this regional trend, Kinshasa is signaling a stronger commitment to economic sovereignty, ensuring small-scale commerce benefits local citizens first.

Looking Ahead

Until the new law is published, details of which sectors will be closed to foreigners in Congo remain unclear. But with November as the deadline, the government has confirmed its intention to protect local entrepreneurs and give Congolese families more space in their own economy.