IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva has just completed her first trip to Africa since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic with a visit to Kinshasa, DRC Wednesday and Thursday (December 8-9)

She met with President Felix Tshisekedi to discuss the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s economic issues on Wednesday. During a press conference she praised the DRC’s growth prospects as a “bright spot” on the continent.

Congo’s economy is expected to grow 5.4% this year and 6.4% in 2022, she announced at a news conference in Kinshasa after meeting President Tshisekedi.

That is faster than the IMF’s forecast for Sub-Saharan African growth of 3.7% this year and 3.8% in 2022.

Georgieva also met with newly appointed Prime Minister Jean-Michel Sama Lukonde and other officials Wednesday.

She concluded her visit to Kinshasa with meetings with civil society organizations and women entrepreneurs Thursday before departing to Dakar, Senegal for the concluding leg of her visit to Africa.

See more on the Fund’s work with the DRC at: https://www.imf.org/en/Countries/COD.