Interview with Mike Mutwale & Dieudonné Lukoji, co-founders of Vendredi Poulet Business Club
What is the concept behind Vendredi Poulet?
Mike MUTWALE: Vendredi Poulet is a business networking event organized by entrepreneurs, bringing together decision-makers, business leaders, entrepreneurs and company executives to connect, exchange ideas and create business synergies, mainly in the Copperbelt. The event has been running in Lubumbashi for over 7 years, at a frequency of one afterwork per month. Since 2022, we’ve decided to organize it in Lubumbashi on a quarterly basis to enable us to reach out to other Congolese and African cities. The idea for Vendredi Poulet came from Kinshasa. We liked the idea, so we decided to adapt it to Lubumbashi, focusing on B2B meetings, to make valuable business contacts and advance various projects.
What is the concept behind the event in Cape Town?
Dieudonné LUKOJI: Having worked for several years in the mining sector, we have participated in several editions of the African Mining Indaba, a major mining industry event held in Cape Town, South Africa. For the first international outing of our event, it was important to start in Cape Town, and on the bangs of this major event, to pursue the creation of business synergies at a higher level and for participants to understand new trends in the mining sector, identify investors and key partners and, above all, promote their business.
What are your expectations of Vendredi Poulet Cape Town 2024?
Mike MUTWALE: Mining Indaba is an emblematic forum for the mining industry. More than 8,000 people come to attend the many debates on the future of the African and global mining industries. The theme of the 2024 edition is: Embracing the power of positive disruption: A bold new future for African mining. We believe that the DRC cannot, and must not, be left out of these discussions, which concern it, hence the importance of taking part in these meetings. It’s for this reason that, on the bangs of Mining Indaba 2024, with the Vendredi Poulet evening, we’re hoping to provoke profitable business meetings for the participants. We want them to be able to put themselves forward to find customers, partners and service providers, and have an excellent time doing so, while enjoying delicious chicken dishes.