On 22 August, following a month of preparing their business plans and receiving coaching from the teams of Craft’Lab in Muanda, Democratic Republic of Congo, 15 finalist entrepreneurs took on a new challenge: to present their projects to a jury composed of representatives from the IECD, RDCED, the Perenco Foundation and two experienced female entrepreneurs working in the sewing and agri-food processing sectors.
Coming from these same two sectors, the participants each had the opportunity to present their business, their career path and their ambitions. The prize: a grant of equipment worth between 500 and 2,000 dollars, intended to support them in developing and sustaining their business.
It was Simon Kimbangu, a fashion designer, who stood out and won the 2026 competition. Thanks to this victory, he will be able to expand his business by purchasing new equipment and has been invited to take part in Perenco Fashion Week, which will take place in November: a great opportunity for him to show his expertise alongside Muanda’s finest fashion designers.
Congratulations to all the participants for their commitment and determination, and to Simon for this great victory.
We wish them all every success in their future entrepreneurial journeys.
