Agribusiness Deals Top DRC Trade Mission as Investors Target Food Value Chain

Lubumbashi, 25 March 2026 – Equity Group has put agribusiness in focus during its weeklong trade mission to Lubumbashi and Kolwezi, moving more than 50 delegates through farms and processors while engaging regulators on incentives and market access.

The delegation draws participants from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan and Burundi, as well as South Africa, Zimbabwe, the Republic of the Congo Brazzaville, Eritrea, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Poland, Germany and the United Kingdom.

The mission builds on earlier roadshows in Kinshasa that opened expansion paths for investors. Equity is now targeting Lubumbashi and Kolwezi to align capital with rising food demand around the copper and cobalt belt, convert interest into executable projects, and use the Africa Resilience and Recovery Plan and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) frameworks to speed cross border trade in inputs, processed foods and retail. The programme pairs B2B sessions with site visits, and Equity BCDC is positioned to structure working capital and capex for processors, distributors and retailers.

Officials from the National Agency for Investment Promotion told investors the Democratic Republic of Congo has more than 80 million hectares of arable land, with less than 15 percent cultivated. They outlined reforms on investment incentives and profit repatriation and cited the country’s position, bordering nine markets and participating in the East African Community (EAC), Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), Southern African Development Community (SADC) and AfCFTA, as a platform for regional food trade.

Delegates led by Equity executives visited Ferme Jambo and GoCongo Enterprises to review opportunities in primary production, processing and distribution. Investors identified logistics, cold chain, reliable power and storage capacity as the main constraints to scaling food systems in Katanga’s urban centres.

Hyper Psaro Group, a diversified operator in fuel, distribution, commodity trading, farming and transport, showcased its consumer goods play. Sales and Marketing Director Yiannis Dimas said support from Equity BCDC, strong financial capacity and strict standards have helped the company secure licences from Unilever, Nestle and Coca Cola to bottle and distribute their products.

“We also manufacture our own products, including EXTRADOUX toilet paper, napkins and UHT milk,” he said. Hyper Psaro runs six supermarkets in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi that are being converted into Carrefour branded outlets under a strategic partnership.

Dimas also flagged collaboration opportunities in hospitality and catering and in solar, recycling, waste management and the servicing of specialised manufacturing and packaging machinery.

Equity’s Director for Brand and Global Communications, Nicole Dow, said the mission is built to connect entrepreneurs and investors with high growth markets and to give them first hand exposure to frontier opportunities.

“Through our strategic Trade Missions, we seek to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs, investors and high growth markets, empowering businesses to scale, expand, explore investment opportunities and thrive across the continent,” she said.

Neshib Holdings CEO Peter D’Costa praised the programme for “connecting investors with opportunities, fostering partnerships, and showcasing mining, agriculture and infrastructure potential,” adding that it strengthens regional trade and cross border investment.

All content credits : John Mbati, Editorial Lead, Ogilvy Africa Newsroom

Ogilvy Africa 2nd Floor, The Atrium, Chaka Road (off Lenana Road), Nairobi

Email: john.mbati@ogilvy.africa