Kinshasa officials and Africell RDC are exploring a collaboration on digital urban services, including government, urban mobility, tourism, and public communication in the DRC capital.
The discussions took place between Jésus-Noël Sheke, the provincial minister responsible for planning, budget, public service, employment, tourism, transport and urban mobility, and Kory Webster, managing director of Africell RDC, alongside
a delegation from the telecom operator.
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The meeting did not announce a signed project or investment commitment. Instead, the two sides identified areas where Africell could potentially support provincial government programmes.
Digital Urban Services Strategy
One of the main areas discussed was the digitalisation of Kinshasa’s administrative and financial systems. The proposal would give Africell a potential role in helping the provincial government move selected public processes and financial operations into digital systems, although no specific technology or deployment timeline was announced.
For a city of Kinshasa’s scale, digitising government services could also improve how information moves between public institutions and how residents interact with the provincial administration.
The province also raised urban mobility as a potential area for cooperation. Among the proposals was the development and modernisation of parking facilities for motorcycles and taxis.
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This initiative is intended to improve the organisation of transport activity in the capital, where informal and high-volume transport remains a major part of daily movement. Africell’s potential role in the project has not yet been defined.
Promoting Tourism and Communication
The discussions also covered projects aimed at promoting Kinshasa as a tourism destination. One is the Kin City Guide, which is being developed in both physical and digital formats to highlight destinations across the capital.
The provincial government also presented a memorial-tourism programme that would install commemorative plaques at historical sites. These projects could give the province another channel for distributing information about cultural and historical sites to residents and visitors.
The province identified Afri-Radio, Africell’s radio platform, as a potential channel for communicating government reforms and public initiatives. That would give the provincial administration an established media platform through which it could explain policies and engage residents, alongside any digital channels developed through future projects.
Why it matters to Kinshasa
The discussions point to a broader approach to urban digitalisation in which telecom operators can play roles beyond mobile connectivity.
For Kinshasa, the opportunity is to use existing private-sector infrastructure and audiences to support digital public services, transport management, tourism promotion and citizen communication.
For Africell, deeper involvement in city projects could expand its position from telecom provider to technology and digital-services partner in one of Central Africa’s largest urban markets.
The immediate next step is further assessment of the proposed projects before any specific partnership, investment or deployment is confirmed.
Engagement
