Beyond speeches about African integration, it is often concrete economic initiatives that give real substance to the idea of a connected continent. The recent working mission of the delegation from ExpobetonRDC to Tanzania illustrates this dynamic perfectly. Over several days of strategic meetings, representatives of this Congolese platform dedicated to infrastructure, investment, and business held a series of working sessions with Tanzanian economic and financial institutions.
At the center of the discussions was the preparation of the 11th edition of ExpobetonRDC, scheduled to take place from May 27 to 30, 2026, in Kalemie, under a theme with strong geopolitical significance: “Kalemie, the Capital of Lithium and a Strategic Crossroads at the Heart of the Corridors of Southeast, Southern, and Western Africa.”
Kalemie: A New Regional Economic Showcase
Located in the Tanganyika province, the city of Kalemie is gradually being repositioned as a regional economic hub. The potential exploitation of lithium one of the strategic minerals essential to the global energy transition could transform a region that has long remained on the margins of major economic circuits.This is precisely the vision the ExpobetonRDC delegation came to promote in Dar es Salaam. The objective: to convince Tanzanian economic actors that Kalemie can become a new gateway to opportunities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Discussions with the Tanzania Chamber of Commerce marked an important turning point. Encouraged by the prospect of a large-scale multisectoral event, its leaders committed to mobilizing Tanzanian companies particularly small and medium-sized enterprises across the country’s provinces to participate in the event.
For these businesses, ExpobetonRDC appears as a platform for engaging with a Congolese market undergoing significant transformation. The event aims to be far more than a trade fair: it is intended as a space for negotiations, partnerships, and cross-border investment.
Tanzanian Finance Takes Interest in Tanganyika
Another highlight of the mission was the series of discussions with the Tanzanian banking sector, particularly with CRDB Bank, one of the country’s leading financial institutions.
According to the bank’s representatives, the revelation of lithium potential in Tanganyika Province represents strategic information. Until now, this rare mineral had not been identified as a major investment driver in that part of the Congo.In this context, the bank sees ExpobetonRDC as a unique opportunity. Unlike the DRC Mining Week, which is entirely focused on mining, ExpobetonRDC brings together a wide range of sectors: infrastructure, transport, energy, real estate, industry, and finance.
This multisectoral approach aligns more closely with the operational model of a regional development-oriented bank.
Already involved in several large-scale projects in Tanzania including the railway project linking the DRC, Burundi, and Tanzania CRDB Bank considers ExpobetonRDC a potential platform for strategic expansion.
The institution has therefore expressed its willingness to sponsor the 11th edition of the event in Kalemie. The sponsorship proposal was championed internally by several senior executives before receiving final approval from the group’s chief executive officer.
Moreover, the ExpobetonRDC initiative could revive an idea previously considered by the bank: opening a branch in Kalemie. That project had been postponed due to concerns about security, but the new economic dynamics emerging around the event could prompt a reassessment.
The Central Corridor: Infrastructure for Regional Integration
The delegation’s mission also included a strategic meeting at the headquarters of the Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency, commonly referred to as the Central Corridor.
This regional organization brings together seven countries: Tanzania, Malawi, the DRC, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi, and Zambia. Its mission is essential: improving transport infrastructure and facilitating trade across one of the most dynamic regions of Central and Eastern Africa.
The Central Corridor’s leadership including Executive Secretary Flory Okandju and Director of Communication Grâce Kutemba expressed their willingness to support ExpobetonRDC.The Central Corridor will soon formalize its collaboration with Expobeton through a partnership, as confirmed by its President, Jean Bamanisa
Such support could take the form of sponsorship or even co-organization of the event, provided that a formal partnership agreement clearly defines the responsibilities and benefits for both parties.The Central Corridor’s interest is far from incidental. Its mandate is rooted in international legal principles originating from the Berlin Conference, later reinforced by United Nations resolutions, which affirm the right of landlocked countries to access transport corridors through coastal states.
Within this regional architecture, Tanzania plays a pivotal role. Its port city of Dar es Salaam serves as one of the main maritime gateways for several Central African economies.
Kigoma: The Next Stage of Economic Diplomacy
Looking ahead, another step is already planned: a business prospecting mission in the border city of Kigoma, located on the shores of Lake Tanganyika and in close proximity to Kalemie.Kigoma represents a natural commercial crossroads between Tanzania and the DRC. The objective will be to mobilize Tanzanian companies and investors who could take part in the upcoming event.To formalize this cooperation, the Central Corridor has suggested that ExpobetonRDC submit an official invitation along with a formal request for institutional support, signed by its president Jean Bamanisa.
An Emerging Economic Diplomacy
Beyond sponsorship announcements and commitments to participate, the ExpobetonRDC mission to Tanzania highlights a deeper transformation: the emergence of an economic diplomacy driven not only by states, but also by private actors and business platforms.
In a region shaped by colonial borders but also by decades of informal trade networks, initiatives such as ExpobetonRDC aim to structure a new economic geography.
Cooperation between the DRC and Tanzania is not new. For more than a century, the two countries have maintained relatively stable relations. Yet the global energy transition, the rising strategic importance of critical minerals, and the growing role of logistics corridors are now giving this partnership a new dimension.
If the commitments made during this mission materialize, ExpobetonRDC–Kalemie 2026 could become one of the major milestones of economic integration in the space connecting Central Africa to the Indian Ocean.And perhaps, in time, a symbol of an Africa that is building not only roads and railways but also corridors of shared prosperity.
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