Summary
Highlights
Kinshasa, with a population of 14 million, is the largest French-speaking city globally. Its streets are bustling with activity, as many residents wake early and hold multiple jobs to survive on less than £1.50 per day. While 80% live in slums, dreams of wealth persist. The video contrasts this with the lavish lives of the country's richest, who reside in exclusive apartment complexes, isolated from the city's struggles. Fally Ipupa, a multi-millionaire singer, exemplifies this new elite, having invested over £600,000 in a Californian-style villa. His neighbors are lawyers, financiers, and entrepreneurs who have profited from Congo's vast raw material reserves. Despite the country being the eighth poorest globally, these wealthy individuals choose to remain, enjoying luxuries while occasionally distributing small sums to the less fortunate.
The Democratic Republic of Congo, four times the size of France, has been plagued by nearly 60 years of war, resulting in over 6 million deaths and prolonged dictatorship. Former dictator Mobutu Sese Seko embezzled billions, and civil wars driven by militias and child soldiers have targeted the country's immense mineral wealth. While many regions remain unstable, some businessmen have built fortunes amidst the chaos. Eric, an entrepreneur, is embarking on a massive dam project to provide electricity. Robert, a former rebel leader turned businessman and politician, built his wealth in coltan mines in the Great Lakes region, creating a town around his mining operations where 3,000 miners dream of a better life. This underground wealth fuels the economy, fostering an emerging upper class in Kinshasa, though the majority remain impoverished, often turning to religion for solace, which in turn benefits corrupt pastors.
The documentary explores entrepreneurship as a path to success in Congo. Okembi, a former nurse, seeks a driver job with a startup aiming to empower women, hoping to triple her salary to £200 per month. The company, recognizable by its pink cars, offers high-end services for the middle and upper classes, including Wi-Fi and amenities for professional clients. Patricia, the businesswoman behind the startup, returned to Congo after studying abroad, eager to contribute to its growth and support female integration. Many Congolese expatriates, like Olivier and Naomi, are returning from abroad, drawn by new professional opportunities and luxurious residences like 'The Fleuve' complex, where they enjoy a comfortable and secure lifestyle, earning significantly more than the average Congolese. They are banking on the country's future and raising their children in this emerging, albeit stratified, society.
Even for the wealthy, daily life in Congo presents challenges, as illustrated by a power cut disrupting Fally Ipupa's music video shoot. However, the mineral-rich underground remains a primary source of wealth. Coltan, essential for mobile phones, is mined in the volatile Great Lakes region near the Rwandan border. Goma, the capital of North Kivu, is a hub of conflict, with armed groups vying for control of resources. U.N. peacekeepers maintain a fragile peace. Robert, a former rebel leader, now a wealthy coltan mine owner and politician, lives in a heavily guarded villa. His cooperative generates millions, employing 3,000 people under what he claims are safe, albeit challenging, conditions. The journey to the mines and towns like Rubaya, which has boomed due to mining, reveals terrible road conditions and the ever-present risk of accidents. Despite claims of safety measures, miners, including children, work in dangerous conditions, with frequent landslides and no official figures on casualties.
The coltan mining industry is plagued by black market activities. A massacre occurred in Rubaya due to disputes over the illegal trade, where coltan is often sold to avoid taxes. Traffickers in Goma offer smuggled coltan, delivered across the Rwandan border, bypassing Congolese government coffers. Corrupt Congolese soldiers facilitate this, as their small salaries make them susceptible to bribery. The DRC is one of the most corrupt countries, losing £11 billion annually to corruption. Despite this, the mining sector drives the economy, leading to a nearly 6% growth in 2018. This economic success is visible in Kinshasa, especially in the business district, with new businesses and high-end supermarkets catering to the growing affluent class, offering imported goods at exorbitant prices.
Entrepreneurship is a growing aspiration among young Congolese. Eric Monga, a prominent business leader, celebrates securing investment for a £250 million dam project aimed at providing electricity to 500,000 people, addressing the fact that only one in five Congolese currently has access. His journey to the remote dam site highlights the dangerous infrastructure challenges in the country, with treacherous roads and frequent accidents. Despite these obstacles, Eric's vision embodies the spirit of risk-taking and grand ambition in Congo. Inspired by such successes, more Congolese are venturing into business to escape poverty. Marie, a widowed bread seller, represents this drive, working tirelessly to support her family and fund her children's education, dreaming of expanding her small business.
Like 90% of Congolese, Marie and her daughter are Christians, part of the thriving Evangelical movement. However, the strong faith and naivety of the Congolese population are often exploited by religious leaders who have become millionaires. Prophet Dominique Konda, a self-proclaimed 'scientist, scholar, and universal minister of peace,' leads a Christian church with five million followers. He sells a 'miraculous' juice, claiming it cures epilepsy, cancer, and AIDS. His massive stadium events are televised, and his consultations are held in small parishes, where followers pay for the juice, often sharing costs due to the high price. Despite the lack of scientific basis and the dangerous implications for ill people, he continues to amass wealth, seemingly unchecked, from the sale of this product, even preparing for industrial production to meet demand.