DRC: Appreciation of the Congolese franc, a mitigated reception among consumers

Kinshasa, October 15^th, 2025 (CPA). – The appreciation of the Congolese franc against foreign currencies, at Fc 2,112 to the US dollar, has been received with mitigated reactions by traders and the general public on Wednesday in Kinshasa, in Democratic Republic of Congo, has noticed CPA on the foreign exchange market. ‘Among traders and consumers, the appreciation of the Congolese franc has been met with mitigated reactions. The traders are still selling off stocks of goods purchased at the old high rate and are slow to adjust their price tags, while the population is demanding prices that reflect the exchange rate practised on the market,’ it is noted. On the one hand, many citizens welcome this new impetus to improve their purchasing power, while hoping for an imminent drop in the prices of imported products and services billed in dollars. Indeed, the appreciation of the Congolese franc has not yet had an impact on consumer prices, even though the fall in the dollar exchange rate is effective.  ‘The prices of goods and foodstuffs remain virtually unchanged for the time being in the markets in both Kinshasa and the provinces,’ wonders a section of the population. According to traders, several factors explain this discrepancy in the exchange rate. The traders are still selling off stocks of goods purchased at the old high rate and are slow to adjust their price tags. Some sellers are even adopting opportunistic or protective behaviours. In Kinshasa, it has been noted that some traders are now refusing payments in dollars, demanding payment only in Congolese francs, unlike in the past when they cited the depreciation of the Congolese franc. This particular situation is causing tension and uncertainty in daily transactions. The consumers, for their part, are expressing frustration that the franc is strengthening without this yet translating into a lower cost of living. Civil society organisations and opposition voices have criticised what they perceive as a ‘populist’ appreciation of the Congolese franc, which has no tangible impact on the price of basic necessities.  They are calling on the government to ensure that this monetary improvement is effectively passed on to the real economy, so that Congolese housewives can feel the benefits in their shopping baskets.