Between Sects and Business

Working for fifteen years in Congo Brazzaville is much more than just a professional experience: it's an intense immersion in a world where economic challenges are closely interwoven with profound social cultural and spiritual dynamics. During these fifteen years six of which were spent running my own business I witnessed at first hand the multiple realities that shape the Congolese entrepreneurial landscape. In the beginning like many entrepreneurs I was driven by ambition and the desire to contribute to the country's economic development. I saw the tremendous potential of the Congo and its talents but also the many barriers to be overcome: difficult access to financing red tape economic instability and often inadequate infrastructure.This book is therefore born of this experience both personal and professional. It aims to lift the veil on these hidden strategies demystify the mechanisms that govern local economic activity and offer future entrepreneurs researchers and decision-makers the keys to a better understanding of this often opaque world.