Kinshasa: The ‘Sape’ and folk art become economic levers for young people

Kinshasa, October 14^th, 2026 (CPA): – The Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People (SAPE) and folk art have established themselves as cultural industries generating income and employment for young people on some of the streets of Kinshasa, in Democratic Republic of Congo, the coordinator of a collective has affirmed during an exchange with CPA on Wednesday. “Collectives of artists and Sapeurs transform their street-front displays into micro-enterprises for fashion, urban design and advertising subcontracting,” Jeremie Mbuyi, coordinator of the ‘Art and Elegance for Development’ (AED) collective, has declared. “Our streets are no longer just venues for free performances or protests; they have become our markets. Today, a young Sapeur who knows how to combine colours works as an image advisor for local fashion designers. And a street painter is called upon by companies for marketing murals. This art is lifting us out of precariousness, » he has affirmed. This shift towards entrepreneurship, he believes, demonstrates how resilient the youth of Kinshasa are in the face of urban unemployment. He has also indicated that, by structuring these movements, previously informal, into genuine small and medium-sized enterprises in the fashion and visual arts sectors, these cultural operators can prove that Kinshasa’s identity has a market value capable of boosting the local economy and attracting international cultural investors.