It’s sad to see the current state of the Congo. It used to be the second most industrialized country in Africa, behind only South Africa, and had the potential to become quite a powerhouse in Africa. And out of all the large countries in Africa it probably has the most favorable geography, having a large navigable river go deep into its land is very valuable. I really hope this country can develop into one of Africa’s superpowers.
Industrialized in a seriously inhumane way. Look at the layout of a city like Mbuji-Mayi and you can clearly see it was built essentially as a giant work camp. By the time the DRC achieved independence there was something like a dozen college graduates out of 15 million.
As an African, this makes me so sad as DR Congo has the potential (like Nigeria) to dramatically change not only the life of its people but that of the entire continent of Africa.
It has started my friend these are OLD images from documentaries he took from. He didn't even mention the actual President who is working hard to get rid of all these politicians that have been sitting in power for so many years. DRC IS RISING!
Congo still has the potential and I hope to see it become a African Superpower in my lifetime to come. All that's needed is good leadership and strong education.
We just have evil neighbours such as Rwanda and Uganda which are arming some rebel groups so that they can keep on destabilizing the DRC but i hope that ends soon.
I almost cried seeing the horrible state of my beautiful country... 😭😭🇨🇩 The DRC, known as the richest country in the world, yet its unimaginable potential was its biggest curse throughout history. And the fact that people there are still able to smile at everything despite all the bad things that have happened to them... That's what makes me admire my father and take pride in coming from a "Third World Country" !!! 💪🏽💪🏽🙏🏽
@@holycow3355 When it comes to natural resources it is indeed the richest country in the world. And that's without even mentioning it's insane hydroelectric potential that would be able to provide electricity for literally the whole African continent. Do your research and stop being uncultured 🤦🏽
As an African, I pray to see the Congo and all our African countries rise up, we have so much to offer the world EDIT: damn, the racism in the comments is just wow
As an European I will do my best to promote values of African nations and their culture and their emancipation here in the Central Europe. We should all work together for the benefit of our planet and our societies. Thriving and prosperous Africa is European interest too. And that might stop all idiots supporting racism and nationalistic movements. We’re all human brothers and sisters sharing one and only mother Earth. Peace! Love and respect from Croatia.
@@julieali4918 Do you believe people born in a slum and have parents who die when they're 2 years old, so have to grow up and live as beggars deserve that?
This is my Country and it truly is sad to see it deteriorate each day and year. Thank you for the video because it’s truly hard to find other ppl or videos about my country. DRC
i feel like there was a lot about China buying resources and not much about civil unrest in Congo, as well as foreign interference by neighboring countries such as Rwanda and Uganda. i think that has a much bigger impact on Congo than what China is doing.
I love that the video isnt just telling the current state of the cities but the hope that it will be better soon! Thank you for these insightful videos. Here's hoping that the DRC will soon be a better place specially for the current and future generations
The tenacity, drive, and ambition of African peoples such as the Congolese is inspiring. This century will see enormous struggles, but Africa will rise, with countries like DRC as its engines of growth.
Congo will rise , they have recently signed infrastructure deals with China which amount to 60 billions dollars but the trick is the money will stay in China to curb corruption. As construction continue State companies will work with China.
In reality, what Africa more needs is severe and urgent birth control programs, as the population of most countries on that continent is growing at explosive rates, threatening the entire planet. Because of this, they are already exporting Africans even to South America!
This is the one to look for in the future. DR Congo will become Africa’s second most populous country and the nation with the most Christians in the world. The city and wealth will only increase, I pray it is managed correctly and the country’s situation improves.
Kind Leopold killed nearly half the population. the great lake region used to be the most populated area of Africa. The genocide changed the demographic dynamic forever. Nigeria will still remain the most populous country of the continent.
Thank you for this. I'm an African and my country is part of the SADC region so I knew how bad things are in the Congo, just didnt expect this level of miss management. I really wish there is a revolution in that country. It's being robbed by both the Chinese government and the elites of Congo.
And you are not robbed by the weste and capitalism? China is not communist, it invest capital and exploits 3rd world countries, your liders must be bribbed or overthroned, bc capitalism is exploiting people and nature for profit. They just want to blame governments now instead corrporations. Thats why you mention China and Congo leaders.
@@colors6692 I actually can, a South Asian slum is made of very densely packed near-crumbling multi-storey brick buildings, an African slum is made of one-level near-crumbling tin roof shacks. The South Asian slum is one level above the African slum.
It's ironic to think 🤔 the struggling locals living in a country full of natural resources. It's just frustrating not to be able to lift the economy of Congo through its people's force to make it a powerhouse. So much knowledge from this video. Thank you and more power to your channel
Exactly what I've been thinking. Like what needs to be done to make their government see what needs to be done? Till when are they going to do things according to the west?
My beautiful Brothers and Sisters of Congo. Although the colonisers have plundered, raped and genocided our countries , we will fight, work hard and will rise to glory. Have faith. - a brother from India.
Without European colonization your countries would be much more backward than they are today. The best thing that could happen to Africa would be the return of 1st World governance.
So horrible our parents, Brothers and Sisters, children are living a terrifying life due to corrupted sellouts leaders, we tired of all backstabbers of our African people due to its natural resources, ❤️ from Ballito 🇿🇦
We needed resources for our industrial revolution. Not like you needed or knew what to do with stuff like metals, tea and cocoa. Africa would be 100000 worse off without colonization.
I am from Malaysia. My father was stationed in Congo in 1968 under the United nation peacekeeper army. I wish to see Congo develop into an economy powerhouse..enough of poverty..
Even Malaysia lost hope with Congo, which is why we're not there anymore. Africa is lost, focus in Southeast Asia, Myammar, Laos, Cambodia need our help and they have potential to grow.
Greetings from Russia! I wish Africa to be strong and united! Russia needs Africa to be prosperous and independent as an equal partner and ally! Good luck in your endeavors!
The Grand Inga Dam and the Inga 3 and 4 megapeojects could be the most ambitiously profitable projects ever to be conducted in Africam history since the Egyptian and Nilotic Pyramids.
@@_xfr_1873but I think if politics weren't involved they would be 1 country with 1 leader but as of rn with DRC in war in nord kivu and sassou president it wont happen I'm from brazzaville
They are but through some secret instances. China is best friends with russia, putin's private army "wagner group" has been in Congo for years supporting it's corrupt leader. (and it's mostly to have access to nature's resources. So again, corrupt leaders sell their people's wealth for their own power)
When is Africa going to stop screwing themselves because ultimately here as a as a African-American woman a colored woman who is indigenous to the land of Africa but also was forced into bondage here in America I stand by people of color and what I do know throughout my historical research is that even though the continent of Africa is indigenous to people of, you have people that are indigenous to the man that are corrupt greedy and selfish they care about nobody but yourself a better phrase of word would be only the best can survive so the corruption is the reason why so many of these countries are in turmoil are in poverty and are ruined, but what I will also add in is that yes the Western nation and the Arab Nation are responsible to do with most of the colonization and the mindset of the indigenous Africans because without the teachings and the corruption they would have probably have already tried to join forces, however each country in Africa shares their own ethical responsibility to their people to be at least caring and and helping because Africa is the land that was given by God to the people of color to us black people to the melanated people and it was given to us for a reason thus we have the most resources ever than any other country on Earth how was it that we are the poores,, and every other country such as China the Arab countries, portugal, spain, france, argentina, japan, now russia, switzerland, all of these countries had gained forces against Africa to form an ally against Africa and you know ambush if they had to so what they did is they seek out the most repetitious indigenous meant to be leaders of the country with the obligation of being detrimentally vital to these countries which means to be corrupt so he will receive a piece of the pie as long as everybody else receives what they want and a hefty price because a lot of these countries that have done this in a lot of these corrupt leaders unfortunately I'm alive by the indigenous groups of rebels or they will be conquered and backstabbed by these countries and on a killed at any time they do not go along with the assignments that are given to them and whatever this assignment is even if he agrees he will be assassinated, the same thing they did to Gaddafi Gaddafi overthre the eastern shore of Africa put his own people politely allowed a certain amount of indigenous Africans to stay mean well as long as he was going with everything they wanted with the oil and a different natural resources that he was providing Western Nations it was okay as soon as they stopped listening to gadafi and he made a statement that was truthful on behalf of the country and himself he's seen how Western white people are very
In reality, what Africa more needs is severe and urgent birth control programs, as the population of most countries on that continent is growing at explosive rates, threatening the entire planet. Because of this, they are already exporting Africans even to South America!
Crazy! Kinshasa, DRC is one of Africa's largest cities yet me in Canada I have never even heard of it and I love geography. Its boogles the mind how little each person knows about our own planet.
I'm lost for words -- lost for words 💔 to express my disappointment, desatisfaction, .... in terms of what's going on in our continent Africa. Everyone just simply come into power and arbitrarily plunder, ...... do any and all manner of evil!!! What a shame!!!! Our own - some of our own so-called leaders, politicians are Africa's worse enemies!!!
I am surprised that congo has such beautiful 😊landscape and high flow rate river that can produce electricity for whole africasuch amazing country .i hope it will rise up
Just to add to arable lands: soils in tropical countries are very unproductive and low in nutrients (people usually assume that tropical rainforests are a sign of high fertility - the opposite is the case). The soils are leached and eroded. However, with biochar (an example that survived hundreds of years is Terra Preta in Amazonas) as slow release fertilizer (SRF), this land can be very productive. Congo is also a home to many potential 'orphan crops' - crops that have been largely ignored by agricultural industry, but that are now considered high potential crops due to their nutrients, resilience and (often) perennial nature (which requires less to no tillage - a factor that heavily increases erosion). So there's room for optimism and potential aplenty.
This is crazy...heart rendering and just unacceptable ....i know NOT everybody is poor in the Congo....but most are, and with the vast amount of Wealth in resources this has to stop....Congolese its time to RISE UP and take control of ur resources and Country.....Fr Jamaica with Love.
Great video but i wanted to know more about the city of Kinshasa itself. I think the DRC is a sleeping giant that will have by 2050 more 200.000.000 people! It is only a matter of time before this giant is going to wake up. So let's have a positive growth mindset here! It has the potential to rival Nigeria and South Africa very soon. We Belgians have a huge historical responsibility to have cordial and respectful relationships with the Congolese people. We should give them back their stolen art, apologize to them by giving them reparations and treat the Congolese not like children but as equal business partners. (Not some half apology like our king Philippe did recently in Kinshasa) Ok, it is true the Chinese have their hands in the Congolese mining industry and fund corrupt politicians, but they gave something back in the form of some infrastructure. Europe and the rest of the so called 'West' looted the country even after independence and did give nothing in return. It is time that Europe and Africa come to grasp our historical past, treat Africa in general with respect and start to change our "misplaced superiority feelings" we have towards the African continent. The world has become "multi-polar", it is also in the interest of Europe to invest in Congo because otherwise we will loose a lot of business opportunities.
@@RK-cj4oc On one hand, he wrote an eloquent and moderate speech. He didn't say that Belgium should give absolutely everything that it has right now, to Congo, but develop a good relationship where both could benefit. On the other hand, I'm pretty sure that you travel on roads and have nice administrative buildings and a thick treasury at least in part due to the Congolese dying for stuff then sold by Belgium. And will still enjoy said riches for centuries to come. Do not downplay the progress Belgium made with the help of robbed-together money (just like some other nations, nothing personal here), on the backs of others. You did not personally cut off Congolese hands, but you do enjoy the benefits of that (debatable) to Belgium, as will your descendants. That said: while I'm not Belgian, even if I was I wouldn't want to give everything I have to the Congolese people and go live in a cave. I would maybe apologize symbolically, but keep enjoying what my ancestors took from weaker people and got away with it. It is what it is, this is how we are as species. There are very few people who genuinely would sacrifice much of their quality of life for others - hats off to them -, even if they knew they were wronged. We shouldn't think even of the Congolese people as innocent saints, they have their good and bad, as any nation. Maybe if they could back then, they would, do the same to Belgium as Belgium did to them first. So stop saying "I did nothing to them", because you are still enjoying what your long dead relatives or your community's ancestors did to them (at least paid taxes which paid mercenaries to "keep order" over there), and own up to it. What's Belgium's and got away with it, you get to enjoy, with all due respect to the Congolese. All they can do is try to fix their, now free, country. I know this won't sit well with both Belgians (and Brits/Spaniards/French/Dutch/Germans/Russians/others) and the Congolese, but we all know it is like that. This is only my opinion, of course.
@@Constantinus213421 الشعب الكونغولي ليس مستحق لأي دوله كي تقول لو سمحت لهم الفرصه لفعلوا مافعلته بلجيكا بلجيكا هي السبب ف فساد الكونغو لماذا اتت بلجيكا لاحتلال الكونغو؟لانه بلجيكا فقيره جاءت لنهم ثروات الكونغو
Great video! Would love it if you made one about Lagos. The predictions say Lagos will have 80 million inhabitants and be the biggest city on earth in 2100.
The last sentence is WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR!! "If the youthful energy of the DRC can be focused on affectively harnesting the natural resources of the country, the coubtry can become a powerhouse" THEY FUTURE OF A COUNTRY LAY OF THE HANDS OF THE YOUTH!!!!
I am a horrified and devastated American - witnessing the suffering, exploitation and corruption in such a resource rich country, exposed in this video. “The children will lead us” and the youthful vitality and creativity of the population will surely breakthrough the past exploitations and liberate the Congolese people. ❤
Nairobi overshadows all cities in EAC despite Nairobi having a smaller population and less area .Personally I wouldn't want any of this cities being a megacity.Kinshasa should try reduce population in Kinshasa
The problem is not Kinshasa being a mega city but how well it’s managed. There is changes being made now let us wait and how it all works out in the future
One of the biggest problem we have is our resources, we have almost everything and all western countries have their eyes on us. If your country had the same resources I'm sure that you'd have the same problems, those resources are a blessing and a curse at the same time that's why they're creating so many problems that don't let us go forward. Slowly things are changing, people are getting awake, in the years that are coming the country will improve a lot
Having such a rapid population growth dilutes the bit of wealth that people can accumulate. Women have an average of 6 children. It is hard to provide for so many and still build wealth. The median age in the Congo is only 15.6 years.
It’s just a sad and heartbreaking video to watch , Europeans,Chineses and politicians and a few elite benefit while the rest of population are treated like slaves being exploited ,terrible living conditions, greed make humans the worse than irrational animals. I have no words I’m feeling defeated 😔
I am from the Philippines although my country is a developing country but this is just very difficult to live in. Even a normal paved roads and motorcycle doesnt exist.
DRC needs some kind of external pressure from other Africans countries so that their government can finally start working on their contact and help develop africa as a whole
Kinshasa is the most important consumer centre of the republic and the core of its industrial and commercial activity. The city serves as the headquarters of major public corporations and of privately owned industrial and commercial companies.
THANKS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL NARRATIVE SPEAKING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF PEOPLE THAT ARE INCONVENIENCED BY BAD LEADERSHIP. HOWEVER THIS ALL CAN CHANGE VERY QUICKLY.
DR Congo could've been the Japan of Africa. I wish the country's influential people knew how to work collectively for the greater good of the country instead of mere greedy and corrupt personal gain. We will never succeed like this no matter how many resources we have
@@prometheusjackson8787 We do build some. The real issue is that funding for both development projects and education ( so Congo could develop competent engineers and such) is eaten up by politicians and foreigners. Leaving the country's people helpless, poor, and uneducated. If Congo were able to vitalize and consolidate their resources, be serious about fighting corruption, stop foreign influence,, there's no reason why they couldn't be the next Japan. But it will take decades of work.
@@mog7501 starts from people, and to fix people, maybe a benevolent dictator is needed to provide education and law and order with iron fist, and finally people are educated enough to maintain the government. Just a thought, same thing in my country.
Cairo remains Africa's largest city in terms of population (for now), followed by Lagos and then Kinshasa. Projections are that Lagos and Kinshasa will be the world's #1 and #2 by 2100. Johannesburg is Africa's largest city in terms of urban sprawl, somewhat behind the other three in terms of population, and with much slower population growth rates.
In reality, what Africa more needs is severe and urgent birth control programs, as the population of most countries on that continent is growing at explosive rates, threatening the entire planet. Because of this, they are already exporting Africans even to South America!
Western countries don't want Congo to develop itself because they're exploiting our country a lot, we have almost everything but slowly people are waking up, in the years that are coming the country will improve a lot.
We do not realize how powerful we are as a people 🇨🇩.. once we realize we don’t need these governments and organize ourselves.. they’ll come begging… the mentality must change! Too many of our people are suffering
In reality, what Africa more needs is severe and urgent birth control programs, as the population of most countries on that continent is growing at explosive rates, threatening the entire planet. Because of this, they are already exporting Africans even to South America!
At 0:09. No, that's incorrect. The latest figures show that Cairo, Egypt is still the most populous city in Africa, with over 24 million, followed by Lagos, Nigeria, at 20 million. Kinshasa is at third, with 15 million. Growth rates in Kinshasa, though, are way higher than they are in Cairo or even Lagos, so it will grow to a city of 30 million by maybe 2035 or so. Then it will be the largest metropolis in all of Africa.
I think they looked at the municipality number and indeed the metropolis number is more important. That's amazing numbers : this city is growing by around a million people a year. If you go beyond 2035 it will become the bigest metropolis in the world, a country within a country.
@@declokazadi4264 I don’t think so, Haiti Gdp per capita is the twice of the Congo, it means that Haiti has twice the money per person, and has a lower HDI (human development index)
@@NoNamePerson98 Those r just nbrs,the gdp per capita of the USA is 62000$,yet so many millions Americans r making less than that. That nbr is high because of the billionaires.... Comparing RDC to Haiti is like comparing a VW beetle to a F1 Ferrari if u look at their potentials,and RDC got a positive president now.
the most populated city in Africa is Kinshasa with 15.6 million inhabitants, Lagos 15.4 million and Cairo 10 million, but Lagos is the city, in metropolitan area (great Lagos area), the most populated in Africa with 28 million inhabitants ahead of Cairo (21 million inhabitants ) and Kinshasa (17 million inhabitants).
@@samuelluyindula2049 No such distinction between Lagos State and the city. At least not anymore. The entire state is one big city. If you've been you'd know that.
Of course Kinshasa is the biggest mega city Lagos maybe has more population don’t know but Kinshasa is bigger than Lagos that why he says Kinshasa is the Mega city in Africa.
It’s always Nigeria? They’re not talking about the population.Everyone is aware that Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa.Kinshasa is richer than Lagos by far i terms of natural resources.
US again? Belgium? I'm tired, I'm out of words. Then Chinese, everywhere there is war. At least there is infrastructure finally. Life? And the African struggle.
