Carrefour opens first hypermarket in Kinshasa, DRC, through franchise partnership

DRC – Carrefour has launched its first hypermarket in Kinshasa, marking the company’s formal entry into the Democratic Republic of Congo through a franchise agreement with Hyper Psaro.

The outlet has been established at Espace GB in the Ngaliema district, replacing a former GB supermarket that began operations in 1986 and previously occupied the same site under different retail ownership structures.

The newly opened store operates under the Carrefour Hyper Psaro brand and offers more than 6,300 stock-keeping units across food and non-food categories, including private-label Carrefour products.

This development comes as the Congolese retail sector adjusts to the absence of major international supermarket operators following Shoprite’s departure in November 2022.

Franchise-led market entry

Carrefour’s presence in the country is being rolled out through its partnership with Hyper Psaro, a Lubumbashi-based group founded in 1992 with activities spanning retail, food service, and distribution.

Hyper Psaro currently runs six supermarkets across Kinshasa and Lubumbashi and ranks as the fourth-largest supermarket operator in the country by revenue.

Under the agreement, the Congolese company will progressively convert its existing supermarket network into Carrefour-branded stores, allowing the French retailer to expand without direct capital-intensive investment.

This approach mirrors Carrefour’s strategy in other African markets, including Gabon, where it operates through a similar franchise arrangement with local partner Prix Import.

Expansion plans underway

Further store openings are expected as part of the rollout, with additional outlets in Kinshasa under consideration, following earlier plans targeting late 2025 that have since shifted to 2026.

Carrefour and Hyper Psaro are also preparing to expand into Lubumbashi, where several new stores are scheduled to open during the summer of 2026.

The entry into the DRC is part of Carrefour’s broader Plan Carrefour 2026 programme, which focuses on entering 10 new markets, with an emphasis on Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America.

With this latest addition, Carrefour’s network in Africa now approaches 550 stores, operated through a mix of franchise agreements and joint ventures across multiple countries.

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