The Lion King | 21
How would you describe Congo
Brazzaville, its people, landscape and
culture?
Originally referred to as the Kongo
Kingdom, it was one of the great early
empires in central Africa. The Kongo
kingdom gave birth to the Republic of
Congo.
Congo’s population is estimated at 4.04
million, over half of which live in the two
major cities of Brazzaville and Pointe-
Noire making Congo one of Africa’s
most urbanized countries. There are
fifteen main ethnic groups and seventy-
five subgroups. The largest ethnic
groups are the Bakongo, which is about
48 % of the population, the Sangha -
20%, the Teke - 17 %, and the M'Bochi
-12 %.
The Republic of Congo is also known
for its Nganda restaurants. A Nganda
restaurant is a place of entertainment
that can be defined as a middle
ground between a bar and a formal
restaurant. It is reputed for serving
food from different geographical
regions of the Republic of Congo and
is often geared to welcome different
social classes such as artists, labourers,
government officials, civil servants,
students, and young professionals. In
Nganda restaurants, people discuss
entertainment, politics, culture, tourist
adventures and family matters. It also
showcases the ability of the Congolese
society to intermingle with different
social classes.
The Congolese take great pride in their
appearance and manner of dress,
regardless of financial status. La “sape”
(pronounced sap) is la Société des
Ambianceurs et Personnes Elégantes,
literally translated as an Association
of Pacesetters and Elegant Persons.
The ‘Sapeurs’ adhere to a culture of
high fashion at all costs. In the midst
of their war-torn slums, it is easy to
find Congolese men dress in tailored
suits, elegantly smoking their pipes
and strolling through the impoverished
streets in immaculate footwear.
What are the economic opportunities in
Congo Brazzaville?
The key driver of economic activity and
GDP growth is the Oil and Gas sector
accounting for over 80% of export
revenues and 50% of overall GDP. The
impact is that annual economic growth
is volatile. Oil exploration in recent
years has resulted in new recoverable
reserves, which has led to increased
potential output after a recent
downturn in production and revenues.
GDP growth was almost +6% in 2013,
compared with a long-term annual
average of around +4%.
Besides oil, Congo has huge mining,
forestry and natural gas resources that
Spotlight on
Martin Che
MD/CEO, UBA Congo Brazzaville
Growing the Seed
Martin Che holds an MBA in Banking and Finance from the School of Business and
Regional Development (SBARD), University of Wales, Bangor, United Kingdom.
He has over 15 years work experience with different banks in Cameroon in
diverse functions including Branch Manager, Credit Officer, Senior Relationship
Manager, Head of Wholesale Bank, Regional Director and Head of Corporate
and Project Finance.
He has been the MD/CEO of UBA Congo Brazzaville since March 2013. In this
interview, he tells LKM what it is like to run a bank in the country.
