The Congolese franc has surged nearly 29 percent against the US dollar this year, matching the performance of Ghana’s cedi and emerging as one of Africa’s strongest currencies, Bloomberg data show. The rally reflects a combination of rising foreign-currency reserves and deliberate central-bank measures to tighten franc liquidity.

President Felix Tshisekedi highlighted the gains in a state-of-the-nation address on Monday, noting that Congo’s foreign reserves have climbed 21 percent over the past year to 7.4 billion US dollars. “The franc’s appreciation provides a stability that our people haven’t known for many years,” he said.

Congo, Africa’s largest copper producer, has benefited from a 32 percent increase in copper prices in 2025, driven by demand from data centres and electric vehicle manufacturers. Supply constraints, including smelting bottlenecks and outages, have compounded the effect, giving the franc a significant boost.

Analysts attribute Congo’s recent franc performance to targeted monetary interventions. Sayen Gohil, a country risk analyst at BMI, a Fitch Solutions company, said the central bank’s management of franc liquidity has been crucial. In August, the Banque Centrale du Congo injected 50 million US dollars to absorb excess francs, setting the stage for the currency’s rise in September.

Investor interest in Congo extends beyond currency movements. Gohil highlighted copper prices, the ongoing DRC-Rwanda peace agreement, and infrastructure projects such as the Lobito Corridor, which aims to shorten export times for Congolese minerals to markets including the US.