Retail in DRC

Who sells where, which chains are expanding, what each catchment holds and where shoppers are underserved.

Value added by trade, restaurants and hotels, 2024US$11.7bn16.7% of the economy · 3rd largest of 16 in SADC

Real growth+1.9%a year over the last five years, at constant prices

Exports of the pillar's goods, 2024US$376m+91% on five years earlier · 12th in SADC

Deals in the last 12 months00 tracked in DRC in all

Trade, restaurants and hotels added US$11.7bn to DRC's economy in 2024

Value added by trade, restaurants and hotels, the industries in the national accounts closest to retail, US$, at the prices of each year and at constant 2020 prices (which show real growth)

Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

DRC has SADC's 3rd largest trade, restaurants and hotels sector

Value added by trade, restaurants and hotels, US$, latest year, with its share of each economy

South AfricaUS$49.9bn13.8% of the economy

AngolaUS$23.5bn20.5% of the economy

DRCUS$11.7bn16.7% of the economy

TanzaniaUS$8.3bn10.9% of the economy

ZimbabweUS$6.6bn15.2% of the economy

ZambiaUS$4.9bn20.4% of the economy

BotswanaUS$2.9bn15.9% of the economy

MauritiusUS$2.4bn18.5% of the economy

MozambiqueUS$2.0bn10.0% of the economy

MadagascarUS$1.9bn11.7% of the economy

NamibiaUS$1.7bn14.3% of the economy

MalawiUS$1.4bn12.3% of the economy

EswatiniUS$793m17.2% of the economy

SeychellesUS$341m18.7% of the economy

ComorosUS$317m20.9% of the economy

LesothoUS$198m9.6% of the economy

Source: UN Statistics Division·dotzedw Insights Centre

Population: DRC against SADC

Population, people, latest year for each country. Click a bar for that country's retail page.

Source: World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

DRC's trade in retail goods since 2012

Exports and imports of the products in this pillar's subsectors, each product counted once, US$

Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Subsectors

10 in this pillar

Grocery and household goods in DRC

Tracks: Supermarket and small-shop chains and their outlets, chains new to each country, packaged food and household goods imported and exported by value and weight, and growth in household spending.
Signals ahead: Growing suburbs with no supermarket within 15 minutes, mall announcements, chains' expansion guidance.

Select a figure for its trend. Source: CEPII BACI, All The Places, dotzedw deals tracker.

Trade in detail

DRC exported US$358m and imported US$1.5bn of grocery and household goods in 2024; exports up 400% on five years earlier, 4.1% of what SADC sells abroad.

DRC's main exports in this subsector, 2024

Cocoa beans, whole or broken, raw or roasted (180100)US$351m

Palm oil (151110)US$2.6m

Other vegetables prepared or preserved otherwise than by… (200599)US$1.1m

Fruit, nuts and other edible parts of plants, otherwise… (200899)US$849k

Other vegetables prepared or preserved otherwise than by… (200490)US$627k

DRC's trade in grocery and household goods every year since 2012, by partner is part of the Individual plan

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Open these deals in the deals tracker

What DRC sells abroad across retail

DRC's exports by subsector, 2024, US$, with its share of SADC's exports. A product can count in two subsectors.

Grocery and household goodsUS$358m4.1% of SADC · +400% on five years earlier

Fuel forecourts and convenienceUS$17m0.4% of SADC · -86% on five years earlier

Clothing, furniture and general merchandiseUS$772k0% of SADC · -88% on five years earlier

Pharmacy retailUS$43k0% of SADC · -91% on five years earlier

Source: CEPII BACI·dotzedw Insights Centre

Who is moving

Open in the deals tracker

0 deals in the last 12 months involving DRC, placed in subsectors by what they say.

No retail deals tracked in DRC yet.

Sources and method