James Whitmee

I arrived in Kinshasa yesterday evening. Hotels here don't do pick-ups but there is a very good local service called Aero Shuttle which you have to book in advance but which will take you into the city for $60.

I am here looking for land to buy. One hears people talking of land costing as much as $2,500 /sq m, but in terms of evidence I am currently seeing a maximum of around half of that.

First development taking place at Cité du Fleuve

Today I did a big tour of Kinshasa, particularly the areas of Gombe and around Stade des Martyrs. I also drove out to visit Cité du Fleuve which is a reclamation of land in the Congo River off Kingabwa. They have made good progress since I last visited and there is 25 hectares of new land which represents 6% of the total to be reclaimed. As will be seen in the above photo, roads are in, and the first development is taking place being several blocks of 3-bed apartments which are selling for in the order of $250,000. Apparently a hotel operator has also secured a plot.

In terms of other major schemes in Kinshasa, the South African retailer Shoprite is currently fitting out the former GB Supermarket on Avenue de l'OUA and intends to open at the end of this year, and Rakeen's mixed use development of Gare Centrale is shown below as construction is today.

Gare Centrale - shopping mall + offices + apartments at end of Boulevard du 30 juin

I also visited the old stadium to the south of the city which is not used so much today but is the location where Muhammad Ali and George Foreman fought the Rumble in the Jungle. This is shown below along with a photo of the new stadium known as Stade des Martyrs.

"Rumble in the Jungle" stadium 

Stade des Martyrs

I am in Kinshasa through until Wednesday of next week and during this period I am on +243 (99) 206 2012.