Kinshasa: 21% increase in the price of a bag of rice in supermarkets

Kinshasa, October 12^th, 2025 (CPA) – The price of a 25 kg bag of Elephant brand rice remained at CDF 76,000 in supermarkets in the capital city of Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), while elsewhere on the market it has fallen by 21%, trading at CDF 59,000, the CPA noted on Sunday during a round of inspections. ‘The price of a 25 kg bag of Elephant brand rice remained at CDF 76,000 in supermarkets in the city of Kinshasa, while in various markets the price has fallen to CDF 59,000 over the past two weeks,’ said Laurette Ntumba, a customer found in a supermarket. ‘Despite the general decline in the prices of consumer goods in the markets over the past two weeks, prices remain the same in supermarkets,’ she added, noting that the latter justify this situation by the fact that their stocks were purchased at a high cost before the dollar fell. Ms. Tumba pointed out that a 25 kg bag of Lion brand rice sells for CDF 85,250 in supermarkets, compared to CDF 59,000 in the markets. A 25 kg bag of BB brand rice, sold for CDF 61,000 FC in the markets, costs CDF 85,250 in the supermarkets. Similarly, a 25 kg bag of Tigre brand rice costs CDF 76,000 in supermarkets, compared to CDF 60,000 in the markets. As for semolina, a bag of the Extra brand (a local product ‘Made in DRC’) sells for CDF 68,600 in a supermarket, compared to CDF 38,000 in the markets. A 25 kg bag of Master semolina is sold for CDF 86,440 in supermarkets, compared to CDF 60,000 in markets. Finally, Ros Bien semolina is sold for CDF 82,000 in supermarkets, while its price in markets is CDF 58,000. A supermarket salesperson who requested anonymity recalled that about a month ago, the Congolese government deployed inspectors to ensure compliance with price regulations in supermarkets and hypermarkets in Kinshasa.  He said he wondered about the results of this initiative, which was supposed to ensure that distributors’ pricing practices comply with the principles of fairness, transparency and protection of household purchasing power. ACP/