Kinshasa

Kinshasa (; ; ), formerly named Léopoldville () from 1881 to 1966, is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kinshasa is one of the world's fastest-growing megacities, with an estimated population of 18.5 million in 2026. It is the most densely populated city in the DRC, the third-most populous city and third-largest metropolitan area in Africa, the world's seventh-most populous city proper (the most populous outside of China) and fourth-most populous capital city. It is the leading economic, political, and cultural center of the DRC, housing several industries including manufacturing, telecommunications, banking, and entertainment. The city also hosts some of the DRC's significant institutional buildings, such as the People's Palace, Palace of the Nation, Constitutional Court, Court of Cassation, Council of State, African Union City, Marble Palace, Government House, Kinshasa Financial Center, and other national departments and agencies.

The Kinshasa site has been inhabited by Teke and Humbu people for centuries and was known as Nshasa before transforming into a commercial hub during the 19th and 20th centuries.

Kinshasa also functions as one of the 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; it is administratively divided into 24 communes, which are further subdivided into 365 neighborhoods. With an expansive administrative region, over 90 percent of the province's land remains rural, while urban growth predominantly occurs on its western side. Kinshasa is the largest nominally Francophone urban area globally, with French being the language of government, education, media, public services and high-end commerce, while Lingala is used as a lingua franca in the street. The city's inhabitants are popularly known as Kinois, with the term "Kinshasans" used in English terminology.

The National Museum of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the DRC's most prominent and central museum. The College of Advanced Studies in Strategy and Defense is the highest military institution in the DRC. The National Pedagogical University is the DRC's first pedagogical university. N'Djili International Airport is the largest airport in the nation. In 2015, Kinshasa was designated as a City of Music by UNESCO and has been a member of the Creative Cities Network since then. Nsele Valley Park is the largest urban park in Kinshasa, housing a range of fauna and flora. According to the 2016 annual ranking, Kinshasa is Africa's most expensive city for expatriate employees, ahead of close to 200 global locations.

Toponymy

There are several theories about the origin of the name Kinshasa. Paul Raymaekers, an anthropologist and ethnologist, suggests that the name derives from the combination of the Kikongo and Kihumbu languages. The prefix "Ki(n)" signifies a hill or inhabited area and "Nsasa" or "Nshasa" refers to a bag of salt. According to Raymackers, Kinshasa was a significant trading site where people from the Lower Congo (now Kongo Central Province) and South Atlantic Ocean exchanged salt for goods such as iron, slaves and ivory brought by those from the Upper Congo (now Tshopo Province). In Teke, "exchange" is "Utsaya", and "place of exchange" is "Intsaya". Thus, the name evolved from Ulio to Intsaya, and later, under the influence of Kikongo, transformed into Kintsaya, eventually becoming Kinshasa.

History

thumb|left|View of Léopoldville station and port (1884)

thumb|left|Kinshassa village (1912)

In pre-colonial times, the area was inhabited by two trading centres, Ntamo and Ntsaasa, which were part of the Tio Kingdom.

The city was established as a trading post by Henry Morton Stanley in 1881. It was named Léopoldville in honor of Stanley's employer King Leopold II of the Belgians. He would then proceed to take control of most of the Congo Basin as the Congo Free State, not as a colony but as his private property. The post flourished as the first navigable port on the Congo River above Livingstone Falls, a series of rapids over below Leopoldville. At first, all goods arriving by sea or being sent by sea had to be carried by porters between Léopoldville and Matadi, the port below the rapids and from the coast. The completion of the Matadi–Kinshasa portage railway, in 1898, provided an alternative route around the rapids and sparked the rapid development of Léopoldville. In 1914, a pipeline was installed so that crude oil could be transported from Matadi to the upriver steamers in Leopoldville. By 1923, the city was elevated to capital of the Belgian Congo, replacing the town of Boma in the Congo estuary, pursuant to the Royal Decree of 1 July 1923, countersigned by the Minister of the Colonies, Louis Franc. Before this, Léopoldville was designated an "urban district", encompassing exclusively the communes of Kintambo and the current Gombe, which burgeoned around Ngaliema Bay. Then the communes of Kinshasa, Barumbu, and Lingwala emerged. In the 1930s, these communes predominantly housed employees of Chanic, Filtisaf, and Utex Africa. In 1964, Moïse Tshombe decreed the expulsion of all nationals of Republic of the Congo, Burundi and Mali, as well as all political refugees from Rwanda. In 1965, with the help of the U.S. and Belgium, Joseph-Désiré Mobutu seized power in the Congo. He initiated a policy of "Authenticity", attempting to renativize the names of people and places in the country. On 2 May 1966, the government announced that the nation's major cities would be restored to their pre-colonial names, effective on 30 June, the sixth anniversary of independence. Léopoldville was renamed Kinshasa, for a village named Kinshasa that once stood near the site. Kinshasa grew rapidly under Mobutu, drawing people from across the country who came in search of their fortunes or to escape ethnic strife elsewhere, thus adding to the many ethnicities and languages already found there. A major urban expansion was the construction of the Matadi–Léopoldville Railway, which was initiated in 1890 and completed in 1911. The project was emblematic of colonial progress and served as a critical link between the port of Léopoldville and the coastal city of Matadi. After its completion, the station began to transform, with the erection of prefabricated residences known as "Danish houses", which were imported from Belgium. These permanent structures gradually replaced the temporary tents that had accommodated early explorers, soldiers, and mercenaries.]]

At this early stage, the connection between Léopoldville (commonly referred to as "Léo") and Kinshasa consisted of an eight-kilometer track that was often impassable during the rainy season. Transportation was rudimentary, with a few bicycles, limited private cars, and even dromedaries in use, as public transit infrastructure was virtually nonexistent. The existing framework, governed by the decree on "the labor contract between natives and civilized masters", proved insufficient to meet growing housing demands, which then prompted religious missions to extend loans to African residents for self-construction before becoming overwhelmed, after which a special fund was established to provide interest-free loans for house construction using locally available materials.

Belgian colonial authorities, motivated by a paternalistic ideology associated with the so-called "civilizing mission", initiated efforts to provide formal housing for the African population, particularly for those employed in urban areas. In the aftermath of the Second World War, a large-scale residential project called the Nouvelle Cité was launched on 407 hectares in Dendale, present-day Kasa-Vubu commune, which was overseen by the Service de la Population Noire under Dendale's direction, and by 1947, just two years after its inception, it housed over 8,000 residents, including future President Joseph Kasa-Vubu. UNHCR consultant Robert Gersony estimated that between 5,000 and 10,000 people were killed monthly in mid-1994 alone. The influx of over two million Rwandan Hutu refugees into eastern Zaire further exacerbated security and humanitarian tensions, particularly in provinces such as South Kivu. President Mobutu's regime proved incapable of managing the crisis, thus facilitating the conditions for war. By 1996, foreign-backed militias, including the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), the Ugandan People's Defence Force (UPDF), and Burundi's Forces Armées Burundaises (FAB), began supporting Congolese Tutsi groups such as the Banyamulenge.

The fall of Kinshasa in May 1997 to the Rwandan- and Ugandan-backed (AFDL), led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, marked the beginning of serious human rights abuses in the capital. In the days following the city's capture, AFDL and RPA forces carried out extrajudicial killings, acts of torture, rape, and targeted former regime officials as well as members of the elite Special Presidential Division (DSP). Between 18 and 22 May 1997, volunteer teams from the Congolese Red Cross collected between 228 and 318 bodies in Kinshasa and its outskirts and evacuated wounded civilians to local medical facilities. Reports from the United Nations Special Rapporteur and the United Nations Mapping Team indicate that the security situation deteriorated further between May and June 1997. Allegations also surfaced that the United States had provided indirect support to Rwanda during this period, including claims of military training by the Rwanda Interagency Assessment Team (RIAT), ostensibly to secure access to the DRC's vast mineral wealth. American individuals and institutions, such as Roger Winter of the U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants, were further implicated in allegedly abetting insurgent activities. The insurrection was spearheaded by mutinous units within the Congolese armed forces in coordination with Rwandan, Ugandan, and Burundian troops. Within weeks, RCD forces had captured large swathes of territory in the eastern and northern parts of the country, including regions of North and South Kivu, Orientale Province, North Katanga, and Équateur Province.

By late August 1998, forces of the ANC, RPA, and UPDF clashed with troops from FAC and the Zimbabwe Defence Forces (ZDF) for control of the capital. The ZDF employed heavy artillery to bombard densely populated areas, including Kimbanseke, Masina, Ndjili, and the Kingatoko village, which located near the Bas-Congo border. These attacks resulted in the deaths of approximately 50 civilians and left 282 wounded during the night of 27 to 28 August, leading to mass displacement as residents fled to safer parts of the city, while the ZDF's indiscriminate use of heavy weapons struck hospitals, religious buildings, and other non-combatant infrastructure without differentiating between military and civilian targets. In March 2001, the United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUC) deployed personnel to key conflict zones to monitor compliance with the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement, yet violence continued, particularly in North and South Kivu, where clashes involved groups such as the Mayi-Mayi militias, FDD, ALiR, and ANC.

Geography

thumb|Dawn at the banks of the [[Congo River in Ngaliema commune]]

Location

Kinshasa is strategically situated on the southern bank of the expansive Malebo Pool, which covers 9,965 square kilometers in a broad crescent shape over flat, low-lying terrain with an average elevation of about 300 meters. It is bordered to the east by the provinces of Mai-Ndombe, Kwilu, and Kwango, to the south by Kongo Central, and to the north and west by the Congo River, which forms the natural boundary with the Republic of the Congo.

The Congo River, Africa's second-longest river after the Nile, has the continent's highest discharge and serves as a critical transportation route across much of the Congo Basin, with river barges navigable between Kinshasa and Kisangani and along several tributaries. It is also a significant source of hydroelectric power, with the potential downstream of Kinshasa to generate electricity sufficient for roughly half of Africa's population.

Relief

Topographically, Kinshasa has a marshy, alluvial plain, with altitudes ranging from 275 to 300 meters, along with hilly terrain that elevates from 310 to 370 meters. It has four principal features: the Malebo Pool, a large water body with islands and islets; the Kinshasa Plain, a highly urbanizable area prone to drainage problems; the terrace, a series of low ridges overlooking the plain; and the hills area, marked by deep valleys and cirque-shaped formations. The city's current hydrological dynamics are the cumulative result of long-term tectonic shifts, sedimentary processes, and climatic variability that have defined the development of river systems over geological time scales. These rivers often carve deeply incised valleys, especially in the elevated southern regions. The Funa River is commonly but inaccurately referred to as the Kalamu, a misnomer derived from the Teke-Humbu term for "watercourse". characterized by fine-textured sands with clay content typically below 20%, low organic matter, and saturated absorbent complexes. The older and wealthier part of the city (ville basse) is located on a flat area of alluvial sand and clay near the river, while many newer areas are found on the eroding red soil of surrounding hills. Older parts of the city were laid out on a geometric pattern, with de facto racial segregation becoming de jure in 1929 as the European and African neighborhoods grew closer together. City plans of the 1920s–1950s featured a cordon sanitaire or buffer between the white and black neighborhoods, which included the central market as well as parks and gardens for Europeans.

Urban planning in post-independence Kinshasa has been limited. The drew up some plans in the 1960s which envisioned a greater role for automobile transportation but did not predict the city's significant population growth. Thus much of the urban structure has developed without guidance from a master plan. According to UN-Habitat, the city is expanding by eight square kilometers per year. It describes many of the new neighborhoods as slums, built in unsafe conditions with inadequate infrastructure. Maluku, the rural commune to the east of the urban area, accounts for 79% of the total land area of the city-province, Weatherbase (extremes)

|source 2 = Danish Meteorological Institute (precipitation, sun, and humidity)

Parks and gardens

Kinshasa is home to a diverse range of parks and gardens:

thumb|[[Nsele Valley Park, Kinshasa, October 2021]]

Nsele Valley Park is the largest urban park in the city.
Parc Présidentiel, situated along the Congo River, is a park that offers ponds, pools, and fountains, while the Théâtre de Verdure serve as venues for cultural performances.
Jardin Zoologique houses a variety of mammals, reptiles, and birds.
Jardin Botanique de Kinshasa is a botanical garden that houses various plants.
Lola ya Bonobo is the world's only sanctuary for orphaned bonobos.

Demographics

Population

Kinshasa is the most populous city in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, with its metropolitan area estimated at around 18,552,800 people as of January 2026, making it the nation's most densely populated city, Africa's third-largest metropolitan area, and the fourth-most populous capital in the world.

The city has experienced rapid demographic growth since the early 1900s, driven by migration from rural areas, natural population increase, and political instability. Its population grew from 5,000 in 1889 to 10,000 in 1910 and 39,530 in 1930, with an annual rise of roughly 4,700 people. Between 1935 and 1945, the growth rate rose from 1.1% to 1.5% annually due to wartime economic mobilization, By the time Congo gained independence in 1960, Kinshasa covered 5,500 hectares and had 400,000 residents. Subsequent decades saw increased urban migration, conflict-related displacements, and a 3.8% annual growth rate, bringing the population to 2.6 million in 1984, 5.3–7.3 million in 2005,

| style="width:21%; text-align:center; background:#ccf;" |Population Projections anticipate that Kinshasa's metropolitan population will reach 35 million by 2050, 58 million by 2075, and 83 million by 2100, making it one of the largest projected urban areas on the planet.

Ethnic groups and migration

The original inhabitants of Kinshasa included the Humbu, Teke, and Bamfununga, alongside the Yaka and Banunu Bobangi from Kongo Central and the river-trading Bayanzi. When Henry Morton Stanley arrived at the Pool Malebo, these groups formed the majority of the population, but as the area's influence grew, additional Congolese and African groups, including the Lari from the Republic of the Congo and the Zombo from Angola, were drawn in, often by commercial opportunities. These newcomers settled on Humbu lands, where they established small villages such as Mikwa, Ngabwa, Ndolo, and Mfumo, some of which later developed into larger settlements. The Teke, who were "neither very mercantile nor warlike", were welcomed by the Humbu for protection against neighboring populations.

Language

The official language is French (See: Kinshasa French vocabulary). Kinshasa is the largest officially Francophone city in the world, though many residents struggle to speak it. The city was the host of the 14th Francophonie Summit in October 2012. Four national languages, such as Lingala, Tshiluba, Kikongo, and Swahili, are also spoken, along with several vernacular languages.

Government and politics

thumb|Statue of Lumumba, and behind it the [[Limete Tower|229x229px]]

Administrative history

Founded on 1 August 1881, as Léopold II's Station, Kinshasa has maintained a distinct administrative status over time, eventually becoming the administrative center for the Stanley Pool District, Haute-N'sele, and Panzi-Kasaï. A Royal Decree promulgated on 11 April 1914 instituted a territorial reform in the Belgian Congo, reaffirming Kinshasa's dual role as the colonial capital and the central administrative seat for the districts of Bas-Congo, Kwango, Kasaï, Sankuru, and Léopoldville.

The serves as the commune's deliberative body. Its members, known as Conseillers Communaux, are elected by direct universal suffrage. The council deliberates on all matters of communal interest, including those of an economic, social, cultural, or technical nature. It also elects the Bourgmestre (Mayor) and Deputy Mayor through indirect suffrage and oversees the implementation of the executive's program of action. Kinshasa wields sovereign powers, encompassing the authority to issue passports and to act on behalf of the country in international forums. In 2016, the United Nations bolstered its peacekeeping presence in Kinshasa in response to civil unrest related to President Joseph Kabila's controversial extension of power.

In addition to state institutions, international and non-governmental organizations exert significant influence on local development and governance. The Belgian development agency, Enabel, has been a key actor since 2016 through its sponsorship of the Programme d'Appui aux Initiatives de Développement Communautaire (PAIDECO), a €6 million initiative aimed at stimulating economic development in the region. The initial implementation took place in Kimbanseke, a densely populated hill commune with an estimated population of nearly one million. In a strategic effort to address urban overcrowding and stimulate regional development, the provincial government established the (CSSPEVK) in October 2023. The committee, under the leadership of a provincial coordinator, was tasked with overseeing the "Kinshasa Kia Mona" urban expansion project in the Maluku district.

Economy

Historically, Kinshasa experienced a period of robust economic growth driven predominantly by a flourishing industrial sector. During its economic peak, often nostalgically referred to as la belle époque, the city's industrial activities spanned diverse domains including food processing, textiles, metallurgy, and assembly-line production. These industries produced goods for domestic consumption and international export. It was during this era that Kinshasa earned the affectionate monikers Kin la belle, Kin-Kiese, and Kin la joie. It ranked second in secondary sector activity with 18%, following Katanga, which held 67.3%. In the tertiary sector, Kinshasa ranked first with 27.3%, followed by Katanga at 22%. The city also hosted 22.8% of all registered businesses nationwide, compared to 18% in Katanga.

Despite housing only about 13% of the DRC's population, Kinshasa generates approximately 85% of the country's gross domestic product. A 2004 investigation found 70% of inhabitants employed informally, 17% in the public sector, 9% in the formal private sector, and 3% other, of a total 976,000 workers. Most new jobs are classified as informal.

The People's Republic of China has been heavily involved in the Congo since the 1970s, when they financed the construction of the Palais du Peuple and backed the government against rebels in the Shaba war. In 2007–2008 China and Congo signed an agreement for an $8.5 billion loan for infrastructure development. In recent years, Chinese entrepreneurs have increasingly dominated local markets in Kinshasa, and gradually displacing in the process formerly successful Congolese, West African, Indian, and Lebanese merchants.

Mean household spending in 2005 was the equivalent of US$2,150, amounting to $1 per day per person. The median household spending was $1,555, 66 cents per person per day. Among the poor, more than half of this spending goes to food, especially bread and cereal. Nearby stands the Colonel Tshatshi Military Camp, which is situated on Mount Ngaliema (formerly Mount Stanley), initially the residence of Léopoldville's colonial governor and later home to President Joseph Kasa-Vubu after independence. Ngaliema also includes the African Union City, created in 1967 for the OAU summit, the Pioneers' Cemetery, remnants of colonial shipyards and port facilities, the Kintambo-Magasins commercial center, an old caravan route terminus, early communal buildings that once served as the region's first European hospital, artisanal furniture workshops using kekele liana, and natural sites known as the Symphonies Naturelles.

Primary and secondary schools:

Lycée Prince de Liège (primary and secondary education, French Community of Belgium curriculum)
Prins van Luikschool Kinshasa (primary education, Flanders curriculum)
Lycée Français René Descartes (primary and secondary education, French curriculum)
The American School of Kinshasa
Allhadeff School

The education system in DRC is plagued by low coverage, low quality and poor educational infrastructure, especially in rural areas. According to USAID (2018), 3.5 million children of primary school age are out of school, and 44% of those who do attend school started only after age six. Various statistical estimates by UNESCO, (2013) regarding secondary and tertiary education also reveal the difficulties facing the country. In DRC it is difficult to get a reliable estimate on the actual proportion of the population who can read and write, however, according to data from UIS (2016), the literacy rate of the population of 15 years and older in the country, is estimated to 77.04%. This rate is 88.5% for men and 66.5% for women. There is also a shortage of reading material, and no culture of reading for pleasure.

Health and medicine

thumb|166x166px|Monkole Hospital, Kinshasa

There are twenty hospitals in Kinshasa, plus various medical centers and polyclinics.

Culture

thumb|[[National Museum of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kinshasa]]

Kinshasa has a flourishing music scene which, since the 1960s, has operated under the patronage of the city's elite.

A pop culture ideal type in Kinshasa is the mikiliste, a fashionable person with money who has traveled to Europe. Adrien Mombele, a.k.a. Stervos Niarcos, and musician Papa Wemba were early exemplars of the mikiliste style.

Arts and museums

Music and dance

thumb|Congolese band [[Zaïko Langa Langa performing in Kinshasa, in 1971|210x210px]]Kinshasa's music scene has had a significant impact on popular culture, as many major figures of Congolese rumba launched their careers in the city, including Henri Bowane, Manuel d'Oliveira, Wendo Kolosoy, Franco Luambo, TPOK Jazz, Beguen Band, Syran Mbenza, Le Grand Kallé, Léon Bukasa, Nico Kasanda, Tabu Ley Rochereau, Verckys Kiamuangana Mateta, African Jazz, Zaïko Langa Langa, Mbilia Bel, Madilu System, Papa Noël Nedule, Vicky Longomba, Awilo Longomba, Pépé Kallé, Sam Mangwana, Kanda Bongo Man, Nyboma, Général Défao, Papa Wemba, Viva La Musica, Koffi Olomide, Jolie Detta, Barbara Kanam, Werrason, Abeti Masikini, Jossart N'Yoka Longo, King Kester Emeneya, Lokua Kanza, Fally Ipupa, Ferré Gola, and Héritier Watanabe. During the 1950s and 1960s, Kinshasa emerged as what American journalist Susan Orlean as "Africa's most energetic recording industry", supported by several Greek-owned studios that allowed local musicians to earn a living. As rumba became deeply rooted in Congolese society, Congolese-owned studios began to flourish in the city. In 1971, Mobutu Sese Seko enlisted OK Jazz to tour the nation in support of his Authenticité campaign, which sought to elevate local culture above Western influences. This led to the acclaimed Congotronics album series, which introduced international audiences to bands like Konono Nº1, Kasai Allstars, Staff Benda Bilili, and Mbongwana Star, who performed using handmade instruments and rudimentary amplification. Other cinematic representations include Viva Riva! (2010) by Djo Tunda Wa Munga and Félicité (2017) by Alain Gomis. In 2019, the mini-series The Widow premiered on Amazon Prime and the UK's ITV network, following a woman searching for her husband in Kinshasa after he was presumed dead in a plane crash. The city has also inspired literature: Fiston Mwanza Mujila's Tram 83 captures Kinshasa's nightlife while also examining postcolonial identity and social and economic struggles, whereas In Koli Jean Bofane's Congo Inc.: Bismarck's Testament portrays the city as a microcosm of postcolonial Congo.

Museums

Located in Kinshasa are the National Museum and the Kinshasa Fine Arts Academy.

Visual arts and fashion

thumb|251x251px|A traditional sapeur dressed in an outfit made from pearls in kinshasa, February 2015

Kinshasa's street art has earned international attention, with artists using murals and graffiti rich in color to convey strong social and political messages across the city. A prominent pop culture figure in Kinshasa is the mikiliste, a stylish, affluent individual who has traveled to Europe, with early representatives including Adrien Mombele, known as Stervos Niarcos, and Papa Wemba.

Martial arts

WWE wrestler Shinsuke Nakamura uses a running knee strike, called the Kinshasa, as his finisher, a reference to the eponymous city. The move was previously named as Bomaye (which translated to "kill him") during his time in New Japan Pro Wrestling but was renamed in 2016 when he was signed with the WWE for trademark reasons. Both Bomaye and Kinshasa are homages to Nakamura's mentor, Antonio Inoki, who received Bomaye as a nickname from Muhammad Ali when Inoki and Ali fought in 1976, with Ali first hearing Bomaye in Kinshasa during the Rumble In The Jungle. There are also Muslim mosques. A Baha'i House of Worship is in construction. A Jewish synagogue, operated by the Chabad world movement, exists.Chabad Centers in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Media

thumb|Office of the Agence Congolaise de Presse (ACP)

Kinshasa serves as the nation's principal media hub, hosting the largest concentration of media outlets in the country. The primary languages used in media production are French and Lingala, with other indigenous languages seldom appearing. Press freedom remains limited, with journalism subject to strict control and censorship. The 2023 Press Freedom Index rated the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 48.55%. State-run channels generally provide minimal political content, and restrictive regulations limit investigative journalism. In the early 2000s, especially during the political transition, Kinshasa's media scene grew rapidly. By 2004, the city had 23 radio stations and 26 TV stations, with the number of television broadcasters increasing dramatically to 63 by 2007. Digital Congo TV was co-founded by Croatian businessman Nicolas Vazonne and Jaynet Kabila, twin sister of then-President Joseph Kabila. Other notable broadcasters include Top Congo FM, RTGA, Radio Télévision Message de Vie (RTMV), Raga FM, and Digital Congo FM. In addition to these, Kinshasa hosts a wide array of specialized and religious broadcasters, such as Radio Télévision Armée de l'Éternel (RTAE), Radio Télévision Sentinelle (RTS), Canal Chemin de Vérité et Vie (CVV), Radio Télévision Catholique Elikya (RTCE), Radio Parole de l'Éternel (RPE), and Radio Télé Assemblée Chrétienne (RTACK). Community-based stations include Radio Shaloom Racha, Radio 7, Tam Tam Africain, Jo Dacosta FM, Afri Radio, and Mirador FM. International broadcasters such as the BBC (on 92.6 FM), Radio France Internationale (RFI), Africa Radio, China Radio International, and Euronews are also present and broadcast according to the editorial policies of their parent organizations.

Sports

thumb|The exterior of the Stade des Martyrs, the largest sports venue by capacity in DR Congo

Sports, especially football and martial arts are popular in Kinshasa. The city is home to the country's national stadium, the Stade des Martyrs (Stadium of the Martyrs). The Vita Club, Daring Club Motema Pembe and AS Dragons frequently draws large crowds, enthusiastic and sometimes rowdy, to the Stade des Martyrs. Dojos are popular and their owners influential. The electrical network is in disrepair to the extent that prolonged and periodic blackouts are normal, and exposed lines sometimes electrify pools of rainwater.

|3.

|Régie de Transport Urbain de Kinshasa

|RETRANSKIN

|Handles urban transportation services

|4.

|Direction Générale de Recettes de Kinshasa

|DGRK

|Manages city revenue collection

| The high prices leave incoming refugees with few options for settlement besides illegal shantytowns such as Pakadjuma. In 2005, 55% of households had televisions and 43% had mobile phones. 11% had refrigerators and 5% had cars. Kinshasa is the largest city in the world without a dedicated bus terminal for intercity services.

thumb|A Transco Bus in 2020

Several companies operate registered taxis and taxi-buses, identifiable by their yellow color.

In addition, an app-based taxi hailing service was introduced in 2023.

Kinshasa is located along National Road 1, the highway between the provinces of Kongo Central and Haut-Katanga. It connects the capital with other cities in the western and southern DRC, including Lubumbashi. A recent complete reconstruction of the section between Kinshasa and the provinces of Kwango and Kwilu significantly improved road quality and reduced travel time from up to a week down to six hours. Kinshasa does not have direct road connections to many provincial capitals, especially those in the north.

Air

The city has two airports: N'djili Airport (FIH) is the main airport with connections to other African countries as well as to Istanbul, Brussels, Paris and some other destinations. N'Dolo Airport, located close to downtown, is used for domestic flights only with small turboprop aircraft. Several international airlines serve Ndjili Airport including Kenya Airways, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Air France and Turkish Airlines. An average of ten international flights depart each day from N'djili Airport. A small number of airlines provide domestic service from Kinshasa, for example Congo Airways and CAA. Both offer scheduled flights from Kinshasa to a limited number of cities inside DR Congo.

Rail

thumb|A memorial at [[Gare de l'Est, Kinshasa|Kinshasa train station remembering those who died during the construction of the railroad]]

Plans to build an urban railway system in Kinshasa called MetroKin were announced in 2023. The start of service is not expected until 2026 at the earliest.

The Kinshasa central station is in the riverside commune of Gombe, and is on the Matadi–Kinshasa Railway, a line connecting it with the country's main Atlantic seaport of Matadi and the province of Kongo Central. The railway reopened in 2025 for passenger service multiple times per week, after five years of renovation. Before the reopening, service was provided twice daily along the smaller section between Kinshasa and Kasangulu.

River

Kinshasa is the major river port of the Congo, which handles over two million tons of freight annually. Rivers are the main connection of Kinshasa with much of the country due to the fractured and poor state of the road network, and the limited extent of rail network. The U.S. State Department in 2010 informed travelers that Kinshasa and other major Congolese cities are generally safe for daytime travel, but to beware of robbers, especially in traffic jams and in areas near hotels and stores.

Some sources say that Kinshasa is extremely dangerous, with one source giving a homicide rate of 112 per 100,000 people per year. Another source cites a homicide rate of 12.3 per 100,000. By some accounts, crime in Kinshasa is not so rampant, due to relatively good relations among residents and perhaps to the severity with which even petty crime is punished.

The Congolese military intelligence organization, Détection Militaire des Activités Anti-Patrie (DEMIAP) operates the Ouagadougou prison in Kintambo commune with notorious cruelty.

Street children

In the 2010s, street children, or "Shegués", often orphaned, are subject to abuse by the police and military. Of the estimated 20,000 children living on Kinshasa's streets, almost a quarter are beggars, some are street vendors and about a third have some kind of employment. Some have fled from physically abusive families, notably step-parents, others were expelled from their families as they were believed to be witches, and have become outcasts.

Street children are mainly boys, but the percentage of girls is increasing according to UNICEF. Ndako ya Biso provides support for street children, including overnight accommodation for girls. There are also second generation street children.

These children have been the object of considerable outside study.

Notable people

International relations

Kinshasa is twinned with:

Brazzaville, Republic of Congo
Brussels, Belgium
Johannesburg, South Africa
Ankara, Turkey, since 2005

References

Bibliography

Nzuzi, Francis Lelo (2008). Kinshasa: Ville et Environnement. Paris: L'Harmattan, September 2008. .
Pain, Marc (1984). Kinshasa: la ville et la cité. Paris: Orstom, Institut Français de Recherche Scientifique pour le Développement en Coopération.

External links

Official website of the city of Kinshasa
Map of the Belgian Congo from 1896 includes a map of Kinshasa
Slideshow of 21 photos of Kinshasa from 2013 to 2015 on Open Society Foundations website
Kinshasa: a travers le centre ville, May 2015 – footage from streets of Kinshasa