CONGO RIVER CARGO SERVICES, SERVICE AREAS, STAFFING, AND GEOGRAPHIC SECTORS
We ship and deliver to anywhere in the territorial Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo. We also run projects, tech pilot installments and deployments, and passenger tours and trips on the river (main Congo River and lesser known tributaries)
HISTORY OF STATE AND PRIVATE RIVER CARGO TRANSPORT IN CONGO
Created in April 1976 and focused on river transport and port activities. The SOCIETE DE TRANSPORT FLUVIAL ET COMMERCE DE L’EQUATEUR was the first in modern Congo after Belgian rule to provide river transport of goods in the DRC for its customers. It also manages the delivery of various products required by domestic factories for their operation and the disposal of their products. We thus on their and about 15 other boat operators transport from Kinshasa (or other start points) to the interior of the country all types of products: fuel, sugar, flour, salt, cement, civil engineering equipment, technology, medical supplies, telco supplies, products, gifts, aircraft parts, cars, and others. In return, we evacuate local productions: crafts, wood, coffee, corn, cassava, beans, peanuts, rubber, palm oil, forest medicines, computers for repairs, cars for repairs, furniture … We are also able
to provide all port services such as transit, storage, loading and unloading, crane handling and berthing of boats. CRC can book in a single convoy more than 60 20 ‘containers or 100 heavy vehicles (loaders, graders, trucks …)! And with the national and border network of TFCE and other boat partners, offer a reliable and efficient service on the bordering
national and international river network.
Congo has 90+ pusher navigation units and barges equipped with a GPS system. Four ports
including two main ones in Kinshasa are equipped with cranes with a maximum capacity of 40 tonnes. A shipyard for mechanical repair and barge fairing is working. All this heritage is supported by 221 national employees and 3 expatriates of the barge enterprise, and the boats serve more than 10,000 km!: Lisala, Bumba, Akula, Binga, Bosondjo, Isangi, Kisangani, Kikwit, Ilebo, Mbandaka, Bansakusu, Yalusaka, Bangui, Mogalo.
We use motorized transport for the last mile, or airlift for landlocked states of the DRC with no access to the river.
(Ask us for special provisions or updates if you need to access or assist qualified receivers in the Northeast under Rebel Control or CAR under LRA control)
HISTORY OF PRIVATE PASSENGER BOAT TRANSPORT AND TOURS IN CONGO
Built in 1949, during Belgian colonization, and formerly called Costermans, the crowning first luxury Congo cruise boat suffered a fire in May 1971 in Kisangani. Rehabilitated and modified by President Mobutu, it resumed traffic in 1978 before stopping in May 1996. The Société Congolaise des Transports et Ports (SCTP), a public company in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), put back into service the large boat in February 2015, to ensure river connections between the capital, Kinshasa, and the city of Kisangani, the capital of Orientale province (northeast), via the Congo River. The main boat was inaugurated on Saturday 07/02/2015 by Congolese President Joseph Kabila after two years of work on a new rehabilitation. The latter recent renovation cost just over $ 2.5 million.
The ship “K” has a capacity of 422 passengers, its tonnage is nearly 1,500 tonnes which corresponds to 53 30-tonne trailer trucks and 4 train sets with 40 wagons. The regularity of the ship on the river had a positive influence on the prices of basic necessities in the markets of Kinshasa, and encouraged other tour companies local and international to take trips on the boat and on the Congo River on other boats and barges, as adventurous jungle tours in the heart of the Congo of history and literature. As for the crew, four captains are on board, the first captain, convoy leader, 2nd captain A, 2nd captain B, and the 3rd captain. The boat transports 7 barges, including 3 for passengers and 4 for goods. The boat is made up of 8 cold rooms to keep food fresh, a bar, a kitchen, a restaurant, a dispensary with a permanent doctor, and nurses. There is also a living and entertainment room. On board the K boat, catering is provided for CRC guests. Likewise, a whole medical service is organized for our passengers. As for security, it is provided by the private police on the ship and we add extra security on request.
Technically, this and several other smaller ships have a brand new propulsion engine installed. At 9 km / h up the river and almost 20 km / h down, it should reach the two cities in 31 days, under “normal operating conditions”. The building is intended to transport passengers and freight on the Congo River, on the Kinshasa-Kisangani axis (a distance of 1,724 km); The ship with everyone will always make its first stop at the port of Mbandaka (Ecuador) where the boat’s crew will unload goods from Kinshasa, and at the same time load other goods destined for Kisangani. The second stopover is the city of Bumba in the province of Mongala. Before landing at its destination in Kisangani, the ship will pass through Basoko in the province of Tshopo.
The Kinshasa-Kisangani section is almost 2,000km long on the Congo River. The duration of the trip is approximately two weeks. Details for comfort on board:
The refurbished ITB Kokolo boat includes 8 cold rooms, 2 family suites and luxury and standard cabins, a luxury restaurant and a bar with cable TV channels. It should be noted that first on this gigantic boat, catering for all classes is ensured. But, again, consultation by qualified doctors is free for both the crew and the passengers. Finally, security is also in place 24 hours a day. We book passengers on this boat regularly but it is best to do so in advance.