Increase in small businesses outside schools observed in Kinshasa

Kinshasa, October 1^st, 2025 (CPA).- The proliferation of small businesses  in front of several schools in Kinshasa, capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), has been observed on Wednesday by CPA during a tour  conducted a few weeks after the start of the school year. ‘I have been selling blood pudding and bread in front of this school for quite some time now. Parents who haven’t bought everything they need to feed their children can find what they need here,’ has indicated Jean Kembo, a street vendor selling blood pudding in front of the Jean-Jacques Rousseau School in the Kalamu municipality in central Kinshasa. These businesses sell both school supplies and food items that are popular with students, he has added. ‘I sell cakes, and I often vary my selection, but generally I only offer food to meet the needs of the pupils. But there are many others who sell clothes, biscuits, doughnuts and even yoghurt,’ has explained Paul Kimbonge, another street vendor selling blood sausage in front of the Moke School complex in the same municipality. These small businesses can be found in front of schools in several municipalities in Kinshasa, notably Kintambo, Matete and Bandalungwa, where vendors set up their stalls every day at the start of the school day.