On June 16, 2025, officials from the US, UK, and DRC inaugurated the Kiswishi City Special Economic Zone (SEZ), marking a milestone in foreign investment.
The ceremony celebrated the groundbreaking of a $50 million Pepsi bottling plant and a Congo Petrol fuel depot within the first private SEZ in the DRC. These projects promise thousands of new jobs in the fast-growing Haut-Katanga Province.
PepsiCo’s facility, developed by India’s Varun Beverages on 15 hectares, will expand the brand’s presence outside the United States. Congo Petrol, licensed by Kenya’s Dalbit Petroleum, is building a modern 8,000-cubic-metre storage facility on seven hectares to meet rising regional demand.
Kiswishi City SEZ is a Rendeavour project, backed by investors from America, Britain, New Zealand, and Norway. The firm is known for creating mixed-use cities across Africa, spurring billions in investment and employment for young Africans.
US Ambassador Lucy Tamlyn praised the long-term vision, emphasizing faith and confidence in the SEZ’s future. UK Ambassador Alyson King highlighted the project’s alignment with British goals of job creation and local value addition.
Senior Advisor to the DRC President, Prof. Jean-Marie Kanda, lauded the investors for boosting the industrial sector with critical infrastructure. Rendeavour’s COO, Preston Mendenhall, described the project as building an inclusive, environmentally friendly city adding tangible value to the Congolese landscape.
The event included local government officials and industry leaders, underscoring broad support. Businesses at the SEZ, such as Queen Energy and Congo Mineral Services, are already operating, while the residential estate Kimia nears full sale.
A One-Stop Shop is underway to streamline government services for investors, reinforcing Kiswishi City SEZ as a beacon of economic growth in the region.