Kinshasa, July 30th, 2026 (CPA). – The price of a 25 kg bag of wheat flour has risen by 7.6% on the markets of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), rising from ¨Fc 46,000 to FC 49,500, CPA has noticed on Thursday during a market tour.
“A 25 kg bag of wheat flour, which used to sell for FC 46,000, is currently selling for FC 49,500 in shops,” has declared Van Matondo, a seller in a shop in Ngaliema.‘This increase, although considered slight, is changing customers’ habits as they reduce the volume of their purchases, and risks further destabilising households already struggling with the high cost of basic necessities,’ he has added. Furthermore, ShadrackKilolo, a baker, has indicated that this rise is affecting their profit margins and forcing them to reduce the quantity of bread they produce. He has explained that flour accounts for the bulk of production costs and that any change in its price has an immediate impact on the quality and quantity of the bread. He fears that bakers will be forced to increase the price per loaf, which could discourage consumption and threaten the survival of small local bakeries. The vendors and bakers contacted have expressed their concerns about the impact of this price rise, believing that it reignites the debate on regulating the prices of basic foodstuffs in order to protect consumers and support small local businesses.