Why bicycles are crucial to Congo’s cross-border trade

In Kasumbalesa, on the Zambian side of the frontier, lorries 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.There are 4,000 to 8,000 bike “porters” in the town, estimates the World Bank. They load their bicycles with hundreds of kilos of goods, such as nappies, energy drinks and ground corn. A load that heavy would test the thighs of a Tour de France winner, so the cyclists work in teams. A “steerer” is seated at the front while three or four people push from the back. “My job is my work-out,” says one. They dodge shoppers, goat herds and envious lorry drivers. Once out of Zambia, the goods are thrown onto a lorry before being resold, often in Lubumbashi, the nearest large city.