Vinmart Strengthens Its Presence in the DRC with Three New Production Units in Lubumbashi
The Vinmart Group is continuing its industrial expansion in the Democratic Republic of Congo. By inaugurating three new production units in Lubumbashi, the group is focusing on the local processing of raw materials and the development of an integrated industrial offering. This investment is part of the national drive to create added value, substitute imports and strengthen the country’s productive capacities.
Three Units to Accelerate Local Processing
The Vinmart Group has commissioned three new industrial facilities designed to meet the growing needs of the mining, energy, infrastructure and construction sectors.
Among these investments is the first square tube manufacturing plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo, operated by Société de Transformation de Fer (SOTRAFER). The unit has a production capacity of 1,500 tonnes per month and is expected to help reduce dependence on imports of steel products.
The group has also inaugurated an armored electrical cable manufacturing plant through its subsidiary Mining Engineering Services (MES). It will be able to produce between 100 and 120 kilometers of small-section cables and up to 150 kilometers of large-section cables. A third unit is dedicated to the manufacture of electrical transformers intended to support the needs of energy networks and industrial projects.
An Investment Serving Competitiveness
For the Congolese authorities, these new production capacities reflect growing investor interest in local processing. Representing the Government, the Acting Minister of Industry and Minister of Entrepreneurship and SME Development, Justin Kalumba Mwana Ngongo, welcomed an investment that is in line with the national strategy of economic diversification and industrialization.
For his part, the Minister of Foreign Trade, Julien Paluku Kahongya, highlighted the economic impact of the Vinmart Group, which reportedly employs between 20,000 and 25,000 people directly and nearly 200,000 indirectly. He called for stronger protection of national industry, a more incentive-based tax framework and better promotion of “Made in Congo” products.
An Industrial Momentum to Consolidate
Beyond the increase in production capacity, these investments illustrate the growing momentum of industrial processing in the DRC. By developing units capable of producing strategic inputs locally, the Vinmart Group is contributing to the reduction of imports, the creation of value within the national territory and the strengthening of the competitiveness of the Congolese economy.
In a context where local processing is becoming a major pillar of industrial policy, this expansion confirms Lubumbashi’s position as one of the country’s main manufacturing hubs.
Héritier Maila
Sources: Zoom Eco and Ouragan.cd
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