Kinshasa is the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. With a population of over 14 million, it is the largest French-speaking city in the world
The streets are crowded. Many people take on more work to succeed. Among them are booksellers, street sweepers, worm sellers, bakeries, and cleaners.
Every day they count the money they earn, dreaming of becoming one of the richest Congolese people. Everyone in Congo wants to get rich.
There is money if you know where to get it. But the vast majority of people live below the poverty line. Albert is a fisherman.
He earns less than seventy cents a day. Contrary to his impoverished homeland live some of the richest people in Congo.
Thatís ìLa CitÈ du Fleuve.î The rich live there. They make business deals, we catch fish. The residence is for Congolese elite people, including millions of nationals.
Uninvited guests are not allowed to enter. Finally, Ipupa has the kind of life that most Congolese can only dream of I never thought I would have a lot of cars. I just wanted to sing and make a name for myself in Kinshasa and Africa.
Fully Ipupa is a major star of the DRCí and is internationally recognized. He is also a millionaire. a picture?
My God, I love you man! I love you too Heís recently invested more than 600,000 euros in a new home in ìLa CitÈ du Fleuve.
î Are the doors open? Go ahead, open them! I love being here, especially on Sundays. I would be comfortable here. I always loved coming to the river with my family, so I decided to put down a few bricks.
Those “bricks” are the equivalent of a California house, which stands out here in the DRC, one of the poorest countries in the world in terms of per capita GDP. It doesn't have to be this way.
With so many mineral resources, the DRC could be one of the richest countries in Africa. Mining is the most important industry in the country.
Many of Fallyís' neighbors have made a fortune by selling raw materials in a resource-hungry country. You absolutely love to relax away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The Congo River is one of the longest in the world. For local fishermen, it is important for their health. They saw the artist immediately They said theyíre brothers. I'll give them something. Fifty dollars.
You fully get one of the marina crew to give a few notes. There is so much of this! We called him, and he gave us fifty dollars to share with us.
Each fisherman recently received an amount of seven euros, the amount they would earn in a week. These people have problems that are different from ours. They work even on Sundays.
I often give them a little something, even then just to bring their kids fun. I'm happy to do it. Fully Ipupa is one of about 600 millionaires in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The DRC is the largest country in Central Africa, about six times the size of Germany. It is home to nearly 100 million people. history is one of conflict and exploitation.
The ongoing violence has resulted in the death of six million people over the past few decades. In 1965, Mobutu Sese Seko came to power.
Named ìThe Leopard of Zaire, î he ruled for almost 32 years, embezzling more than four billion euros during his reign In 1996 civil war broke out.
The military, backed by neighboring countries, deployed thousands of child soldiers as they tried to seize the country's wealth.
Mobutu died a year later in exile. In 2001 he saw Joseph Kabila enter politics. During his reign, he amassed an estimated 13 billion euros.
Because of its fragility, the DRC is today regarded as a failed state of Weíre traversing the Democratic Republic of Congo to understand why some are rich, while others are struggling to survive in Kinshasa, roads are paved and difficult to navigate.
Amid the chaos, a young woman named Moukembi tries to build a Tell me what to do! The officers had to steer the cars, one of whom said go left another says go to the right.
What should I do to Moukembi during the trial? In the back seat, Arnau checks how well he is moving in traffic. He feels like he has to turn around soon. You can tell we don't know your way here.
Follow this car. Moukembi applied for a driver's license when the taxis started. The company was founded by a Congolese businesswoman who wants to lift women out of poverty.
Pink cars are a trademark of the service Previously, Moukembi worked as a nurse. If he passes the test, he will triple his salary, earning about 250 euros a month.
I can't wait to start work. Letís hope I will pass the test. All right, go back to the office. Moukembi plays the role of a paid driver.
finally, but it will be a few days before he finds out if he got the job Clients of the cab company Medium and over c Patricia Nzolantima wants to give women better job opportunities.
After completing his studies, he returned to Congo and started the cab service with the help of investors. Today, she pays for and supports other women entrepreneurs. We want to have more millionaires.
Congo has a population of over 80 million and is rich in natural resources. Is it time for Congolese women to get a piece of that despite the country's instability?
Give me two? Patricia believes the economy will take You canít to reduce Congo to rape and war. There are young people, especially young women, who are trying to make a real difference.
So I'm wrong to bring the world down to things that don't work. This new generation will relocate to the country like Patricia and her friends, increasing the number of Congolese returning from overseas to work and investing in their home country.
These so-called ìrepatsî live in protected areas that provide a standard of living in the West.
Back in La CitÈ du Fleuve, an elaborate residence on a few hundred hectares, two new residents are evacuating Olivier and Naomie recently relocated from Johannesburg, South Africa.
And the couple is working financially. Prospects for new jobs that guarantee them a return to their homeland. This will be the living room.
The carpet can go here. Where? I table, TV. This will be the bedroom. The apartment also offers a beautiful view of the Congo River.
Olivier and Naome are newly married and want to start a family here. The couple earns about 3,500 XNUMX euros a month. Thatís more than 100 times the average salary. A third of it will go to hire?
The rising price of the collateral. You know, I want a place where my kids can play on the street and they shouldn’t worry about the other 100 people on the street, and they shouldn’t worry about air pollution, noise pollution.
They can do their homework peacefully. It also has a lot to say about the environment, but also yes, it is much safer than the inner city.
Brand new apartment, brand new furniture Next we
need is a brand new baby! The couple found their refuge. The beginning of a new life for us.
Yes. There is a growing need for accommodation in this new residential building. Eventually, la CitÈ du Fleuve will have more than two thousand homes? including singer Fally Ipupaís.
We meet him at a rented place to record his new music video. Dancers dress like Congolese heroes. The shooting goes smoothly until suddenly the music stops. There have been power outages in the area.
There is no electricity. We are trying to fix it. Fully and his team is trapped.
Finally, does the technician track down the emergency generator?
But that is too fast. She is completely frustrated, even though she is accustomed to these challenges. Do you see the picture? Said Iím Congolese.
I will not leave my country just because of a few power outages. Finally, Fally Ipupaís assistant Manon tries to use the carís sound system. We do what we have. I will connect my phone to the car for now.
Active, and video capture can continue. In her 20 years of a music career, Fally has joined a multi-billion dollar club. And the number of members is growing. The land is rich in minerals, including coltan, from which tantalum is extracted. The metal is used to make cell phones.
The mines are located in the Great Lakes region, in the eastern part of the country, near the Rwandan border. Goma, the capital of North Kivu province, has been rocked by bloody conflicts for more than two decades.
Armed groups fought each other to control the mines. The UN has set up 16,000 peacekeepers here, to strengthen peace.
The people of this region are poor and affected by violence. The wealthy live on the shores of Lake Kivu. It involves one of the most influential entrepreneurs in the region.
His villa is guarded day and night by police. It is like a castle. Robert Seninga is a multi-millionaire. Hello, How are you? His wealth comes from the coltan mines. He was once a rebel leader.
In 2006, he was elected to parliament in the Masisi constituency. Even if you are a politician, you can still do business.
Robert Seninga openly admits that political power helped him. He owns the mining cooperative Cooperamma, which produces coltan. His bodyguards never leave his side.
I ask him where we are. This is the headquarters of Cooperammaís. The heart of the mineral trade. The simple structure denies the millions of Cooperamma converts each year.
Robert Seninga looks at production statistics for the past few days. On the 6th, it was four tons and 668 pounds. The numbers look great.
It is 40 tons in total. I wonder how much that is. A kilo is worth $ 42 to $ 45. You can do the math.
