Democratic Republic of Congo establishes national water office and Vinmart opens new industrial plants

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo announced the creation of the Congolese Water Office (Office congolais de l’eau, OCE). Environment Minister Marie Nyange Ndambo said the office will ensure sustainable management of the country’s water resources – which hold more than half of Africa’s fresh‑water reserves – and turn water into a "blue gold" lever for economic growth and regional cooperation.

Vinmart inaugurated three new industrial units in Lubumbashi. The facilities include the country’s first square‑tube plant (SOTRAFER) with a capacity of 1,500 tonnes per month, an armored‑cable plant (Mining Engineering Services) capable of producing up to 150 km of cable, and a transformer factory. Officials said the projects will generate 20,000‑25,000 direct jobs and around 200,000 indirect jobs, supporting the president’s agenda of economic diversification and industrialisation.