Why bicycles are crucial to Congo’s cross-border trade
While lorries wait weeks to pay their dues, two-wheelers zip across on the cheap
In Kasumbalesa, on the Zambian side of the frontier, lorries wait days to be let into Congo. Long delays at crossings are common across Africa. But in this border town in the north of the country some wheels are still turning. Rickety bicycles piled high with goods zip past the lorries, like river water flowing around boulders.
This article appeared in the Middle East & Africa section of the print edition under the headline “Deals on wheels”
Middle East & Africa January 28th 2023
From the January 28th 2023 edition
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