• DRC launches 2026-2030 digital plan, AI strategy in Kinshasa
• $1B investment to boost infrastructure, services, and digital skills
• Goal: become regional tech hub, create jobs, attract investment
  

In Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Minister of Digital Economy, Augustin Kibassa Maliba, launched work on the country’s National Digital Plan 2026-2030 (PNN2) and its first National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy on Wednesday, October 8. The initiatives aim to position the DRC as a regional digital hub by 2030.

Maliba said the goal is “to harness the benefits of the digital economy and position our country – rich in critical minerals vital to digital and energy transitions – as a catalyst for investment and a contributor to the key challenges of our time.”

The five-year plan is organized around four main pillars: developing infrastructure and connectivity, establishing digital public platforms and services, enhancing human capital and inclusion, and strengthening cybersecurity and digital trust. It also outlines five cross-cutting priorities: digital entrepreneurship, innovation, technological sovereignty, AI, and strategic partnerships.

To support the plan, the government will invest $1 billion over five years, backed by $500 million in external financing already secured from international partners. As part of the AI Strategy, a Congolese Academy of Artificial Intelligence will be created to train young talent, foster applied research, and spur local innovation.

The initiative builds on the National Digital Plan Horizon 2025, launched in 2019, which the ministry says is about 60% complete. That plan laid key foundations by expanding connectivity through national fiber-optic networks and regional projects such as CAB5, and by introducing the first e-government services, including an online tax portal, customs single window, digitized civil registration, and a digital ID system.

With the PNN2, Kinshasa aims to consolidate these achievements and accelerate the country’s digital transformation.

A September report by the GSMA estimated that the digital economy could add about $4.1 billion to the Congolese economy by 2029, provided there is large-scale investment in key sectors such as industry and agriculture. The GSMA said digital adoption could boost the value of agricultural output, improve education and healthcare, facilitate access to global value chains, and enhance transparency in public governance.

Through this strategy, the DRC aims not only to strengthen its technological ecosystem but also to create thousands of skilled jobs and attract greater investment in digitally intensive sectors.

Samira Njoya