Why invest in the DRC? Investment opportunities, rules and risks

Figures from public institutions, checked on 6 October 2026, each with its year.

• Population: 112,832,473 people in 2025 (World Bank, World Development Indicators).
• Growth: estimated at 5.5% for 2025, driven by the extractive sector. The World Bank projects an average of 5.1% for 2026-2028, a gradual slowdown. The IMF country page shows 5.9% for 2026: projections differ.
• Inflation: 7.5% in 2025, down from 17.7% in 2024 (World Bank). On 6 October 2026 the Central Bank of Congo showed year-on-year inflation of 3.678%, a policy rate of 12.5% and an exchange rate of 2,267.73 Congolese francs per US dollar.

Demand starts with size and a young, increasingly connected population. According to the GSMA report The Mobile Economy 2025, the DRC is among the 15 markets worldwide expected to add the most mobile internet subscribers between 2025 and 2030: about 15 million more.

Gambling is one services sector in motion. Finance Minister Doudou Fwamba put annual revenue at roughly USD 1.7 billion, as reported by iGaming Business on 12 January 2026. That is a third-party estimate, not a measurement: the same article reports that the state received only about USD 1 million in taxes. See our page on DRC gambling law.

The National Agency for Investment Promotion (ANAPI) is the single entry point for investors. Under Law No. 004/2002 of 21 February 2002 on the Investment Code (read in a reproduction of the leganet.cd text):

• ANAPI receives approval applications, examines them and decides on approval (Article 4);
• the decision must be taken within 30 working days at most; if there is no answer, approval is deemed granted (Article 6);
• the general regime requires an entity under Congolese law, an investment of at least USD 200,000 and value added of at least 35% (Article 8);
• the State guarantees the transfer of dividends to foreign investors (Article 28).

Two caveats. Article 3 excludes, among others, mining and hydrocarbons, banks and insurance from the law; those sectors are governed by special laws. And the code dates from 2002: according to Ecofin on 14 November 2025, ANAPI's director general said it no longer reflects the 26-province structure and that a revision is under way. Check the version in force before any decision. The text we read does not mention gambling; whether ANAPI approval applies to that sector, we cannot say.

The World Bank writes that risks remain tilted to the downside, notably because of the conflict in the east. Four points deserve serious attention:

• Poverty: 81.1% of the population below $3 a day in 2025, which limits purchasing power.
• Infrastructure: 22.5% of the population with electricity access in 2024 (World Bank).
• Volatility: inflation fell from 17.7% to 7.5% in one year; swings of that size make return forecasts difficult.
• Regulation: in gambling the rules are moving in 2026, and market data remain uncertain.

Woobet Betting Solutions is based in Kinshasa. According to its website, the company holds an official Congolese gaming licence (sports betting, online and offline casino, lotto) and has operated in the country itself, with a retail network, its own point-of-sale system and local agents. The offer is for companies only, on a B2B basis. Proof of licence and commercial terms are shared in the data room after a confidentiality agreement.

More: what is Woobet and how to become a partner.

Request the data room (under NDA) by email at inquiry@woobet.it.com. Back to the Woobet home page. This page is general information, not legal advice or an investment recommendation, and reflects the position on 6 October 2026.