The Democratic Republic of the Congo is rolling out an $8.7 billion digital transformation plan aimed at expanding connectivity, modernizing public services and building a skilled technology workforce between 2026 and 2030.
The program focuses on broadband expansion, e-government platforms, artificial intelligence training and cybersecurity, with the goal of positioning the country as a regional technology hub while supporting broader economic growth.
Under the plan, 650 additional communities are expected to gain broadband access, connecting about 30 million people and 1,000 public institutions. Officials project the reforms could add $4.1 billion to gross domestic product by 2029, create 700,000 jobs and bring mobile internet access to 9.7 million new users.
Infrastructure and Connectivity Push
A major priority is expanding mobile and broadband coverage to underserved rural areas. In January 2025, Vodacom and Orange announced a partnership to deploy up to 2,000 solar-powered base stations over six years, starting with 1,000 2G and 4G sites. The shared infrastructure model is designed to lower costs and extend service to rural populations.
Funding support includes $400 million from the World Bank IDEA program and €100 million from the French Development Agency to attract private investment in broadband expansion.
Renewable energy, especially solar, is being integrated into telecom infrastructure to address unreliable grid power and support long-term network operations.
Digital Government and Payments Systems
The National Digital Plan 2026–2030 includes new digital public service platforms, including digital identification, an online tax portal, a customs single window and digitized civil registration. A national interbank payments platform is scheduled for launch by March 2026 to enable transactions across banks and mobile money providers.
The government says digital public services are intended to reduce friction in citizen-government transactions and improve revenue collection. Digitalization of tax and service systems is projected to raise direct tax revenue by 1.2 to 1.3 percentage points of GDP.
A separate Digital Transformation Project targets 30 million users, with $385 million allocated for digital access and $55 million for e-government infrastructure, with a goal that half of beneficiaries will be women.
AI and Skills Development
Human capital development is a central pillar of the strategy. Training programs are designed to prepare 250,000 young people in AI, cybersecurity, programming and data science. The Congolese Academy of Artificial Intelligence is expected to lead applied AI research and sector-specific solutions for mining, agriculture, health care and education.
In September 2025, the government signed a memorandum with Cisco and Cybastion covering large-scale digital skills training. Additional support comes through World Bank-backed programs that will train thousands of students and teachers in advanced digital capabilities.
Investment and Private Sector Partnerships
The government has committed $1 billion over five years to the national plan, with another $500 million expected from international partners. In February 2025, Indian firm General Technologies signed a $1 billion memorandum of understanding tied to digital projects. U.S.-based Unity Development Fund also announced planned investments in infrastructure and youth technology programs.
Officials say public-private partnerships will be central to delivery, particularly across telecom networks, fintech platforms and AI-enabled services.
Cybersecurity and Digital Trust
Cybersecurity and digital trust form another core pillar of the strategy. National institutions have been established to oversee digital governance and security, alongside plans for a Tier 3 data center in Kinshasa to reduce reliance on foreign hosting.
A blockchain-based national digital ID system known as DRC Pass is also being introduced to create tamper-resistant identity records and strengthen data sovereignty.
Across sectors including mining, agriculture and public administration, the government expects improved connectivity and secure digital systems to increase productivity, transparency and service delivery as the country scales its digital economy.
