From a purely telecoms perspective, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is one of the most attractive markets for investment in Sub-Saharan Africa. The country has the third highest population in region, after Nigeria and Ethiopia, but one of the lowest penetration rates at 36.8% at the end of September 2013, according to BMI data. Furthermore, the intense competition between six active operators in the mobile market, four of which are backed by major regional players, creates significant opportunities for vendors and other third-party service providers, including tower firms and their suppliers. However, the market is not for the faint-hearted given the myriad of country risk factors at play.
Country risk factors weigh on investment strategies in DRC
