Very limited internet penetration means that online eCommerce is only an option in the DRC’s major cities. A few businesses have websites, and many independent businesses have a Facebook page. Some businesses use the WhatsApp application to take orders. The DRC is a cash economy, and it is very rare to be able to buy a product online and have it delivered. Telecommunications companies are aggressively promoting mobile money payments to facilitate commerce, and although its use in the DRC lags more active markets like Kenya, more and more merchants are accepting mobile payments. The largest active companies are Vodacom, Airtel, Orange, and Africell.
The DRC Post is modernizing and in May 2021 announced an ambitious computerization and digitization plan to make the Post the most powerful e-commerce platform in the subregion and a partner for giants like Amazon and others. The Ministry of Telecommunications regulates telecommunications companies, and the Ministry of Finance regulates payments.