In the bustling neighborhoods of Kinshasa, Sivi Malukisa recalls the early days of her entrepreneurial journey when she had a vision but no production facility or funding. Today, her company, Manitech Congo, produces tons of peanut butter and chili sauces monthly, employs dozens, and supports local industries. Her success story is emblematic of the broader impact of the Small-Medium Enterprise Development and Growth Project (PADMPME) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which, from 2018 to 2024, provided $100 million in World Bank financing to support entrepreneurs in cities such as Kinshasa, Matadi, Lubumbashi, and Goma.
The PADMPME project built on a pilot initiative, the SME Launchpad, which provided seed funding for innovative solutions addressing challenges faced by small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The project introduced legislative reforms to strengthen the rights of women entrepreneurs, developed capacity-building initiatives, and created local partnerships to improve access to finance and markets. According to Alexis Mangala, National Coordinator of the Project Implementation Unit, PADMPME aimed to boost micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), particularly empowering women and youth, which are central to the DRC’s economic activity.
Despite operating in a fragile context, the project achieved remarkable outcomes. By its conclusion, PADMPME had facilitated the creation of 6,012 businesses and generated 14,926 full-time jobs. SMEs that benefited from the program saw net sales increase by 63%, while young entrepreneurs recorded a 43% rise in income, and overall business growth averaged 53%. Beyond statistics, these results reflect human stories of innovation, collaboration, and determination. For instance, Musafiri Gogo in Goma leveraged her Business Plan Competition win to launch a paving stone production plant, employing over 150 people across Goma and Lubumbashi and envisioning further expansion with women-led cement factories.
In Kinshasa, the digital platform Schoolap, developed by young entrepreneurs, has grown to serve over 400 client schools, 50 employees, and more than four million registered students, offering more than 25,000 learning resources and expanding into five countries. These examples illustrate how PADMPME fostered initiatives tailored to local contexts, promoting both economic growth and social impact. The project, in partnership with the Africa Gender Lab, extended behavioral training to over 7,000 women and 3,000 young entrepreneurs, supported 5,692 MSMEs with grants, and strengthened 38 public and private institutions through SME Centers that provide shared utilities, ICT, production equipment, and networking spaces.
According to Magueye Dia, a private sector specialist at the World Bank, PADMPME demonstrates how targeted programs can help the DRC achieve its development goals and stimulate economic growth. Although PADMPME concluded in 2024, its legacy continues through the Empowering Women Entrepreneurs and Upgrading MSMEs for Economic Transformation and Jobs Project, which has scaled innovations from PADMPME to seven cities. The program continues to stimulate growth, create jobs, and empower women entrepreneurs. As Sivi Malukisa reflects, the project acted as “the small stone that started a snowball effect,” highlighting how innovation and entrepreneurship serve as seeds of prosperity, inspiring broader economic development and community transformation in the DRC.
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