On Saturday 9th September, held at the centre of London in Mayfair, the launch of the Congolese Chamber of Commerce in Great Britain (CCCGB) was something a lot of Congolese professionals were waiting for.

The venue was beautifully chosen. Located off Bond Street, one of London’s busiest street, the venue accommodated those who were ready to hear what this launch had to offer.

I arrived a few minutes late, I am not a Londoner so I got lost on the way, and the event had started at 2.30 pm prompt exactly as it said it would. As I walked in, a young man called Baraka had the microphone. He was passionate about the changed that he, as well as what the CCCGB can do for the future of businesses in Congo.

I attended the event with limited expectations. Something like this can easily be turned into a charade of people with several opinions which do not lead to anyone finding out what CCCGB is about. That perception was quickly squashed when I was sat in front of a panel of individuals based in Congo, Britain and France from different fields, including law, business management and development as well as investment and agriculture.

Whilst each attendee came with their own agenda, I personally left feeling empowered. I found myself in a room surrounded with business minded people who are aware of the potential of Congo and want to harness it for the country to grow.  After spending several moments with the rest of the guests I can say that I was not the only person who felt that way.

I would ultimately say that this launch event was a success! I and the ESIMBI team are excited and eager to see what the CCCGB will do to help the development of business relations between the 2 countries.

To find out more about the organisation, please go to www.cccgb.uk

Text by Gaelle