Kasaï is a province in south-central Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the Angolan border, with its capital at Tshikapa. It covers 95,631 km² and holds a projected 3,165,000 people, making it one of the 26 provinces created when the country split its 11 old provinces in 2015.
| Capital | Tshikapa |
|---|---|
| Population | 3,165,000 (2019 projection) |
| Area | 95,631 km² |
| Territories | 5 |
| Cities | Tshikapa |
| Languages | French (official); Tshiluba, Lingala |
| Neighbours | Kwilu, Kwango, Kasaï-Central, Sankuru, Tshuapa, Mai-Ndombe, Angola |
Towns, Cities and Territories
Kasaï has one statutory city and five territories. The city of Tshikapa is administratively separate from Kamonia territory, which surrounds it.
| Territory or city | Headquarters | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Tshikapa | City (ville) | 382 km² |
| Dekese | Dekese | 25,175 km² |
| Ilebo | Ilebo | 15,654 km² |
| Kamonia | Kamonia | 27,492 km² |
| Luebo | Luebo | 8,450 km² |
| Mweka | Mweka | 13,223 km² |
Tshikapa is by far the largest town, with a 2016 urban estimate of 732,000. Ilebo, on the Kasaï River in the north, is the second town that matters to outsiders: it is the head of navigation and the river-to-rail transfer point. Luebo and Mweka are old Kuba-country trading posts on the Luebo and Lubudi rivers. Dekese, in the far north, sits in equatorial forest and is the most isolated territory headquarters in the province.
Geography
The province takes its name from the Kasaï River, which crosses it from south to north and gives Tshikapa and Ilebo their river frontage. Kasaï borders Kasaï-Central to the east, Sankuru to the north-east, Tshuapa and Mai-Ndombe to the north, Kwilu to the west and Kwango to the south-west. Its southern boundary is the international border with Lunda Norte, Angola.
The south is wooded savanna cut by sandy river valleys. The north, around Dekese, is closed rainforest draining into the Congo basin. Tshikapa stands at the confluence of the Tshikapa and Kasaï rivers, roughly 200 km west of Kananga by road.
Demographics
Population density averages about 33 people per km², but almost everyone lives in the southern half. DR Congo has held no census since 1984, so all current numbers are projections; a 2024 estimate puts the province nearer 3,686,000. Tshiluba is the working language across most of the province, with Lingala common in trade and administration and French used in schools and government. The main peoples are the Kuba in Mweka and Ilebo, the Lele around Luebo, the Chokwe and Lunda near the Angolan border, the Pende in the west, and Luba-Kasaï communities throughout.
Economy and Local Life
Diamonds built Tshikapa. The town was founded around 1910 by Forminière after the company found alluvial stones in the Kasaï gravels, and buying counters still line its streets. Most production today is artisanal, worked by hand along the Kasaï, Tshikapa and Lulua river beds, and much of it crosses into Angola informally.
Outside the diamond zone, life runs on farming and river trade: cassava, maize, groundnuts, palm oil and beans, with coffee and rubber left over from the plantation era. Ilebo’s port handles the boats coming up from Kinshasa, and Mweka and Luebo hold the weekly markets that feed the interior. The Kuba of Mweka territory are known for raffia cloth and carved wooden masks, which still move through the same markets.
History
Kasaï was created in 2015 out of the former Kasaï-Occidental province, which was split into Kasaï and Kasaï-Central. The new province combined the old Kasaï district with the city of Tshikapa, which had been administered separately. Before that, the area was the heart of the Kuba kingdom, a centralised state that Belgian forces reached only in the 1890s. Ilebo, then called Port-Francqui, became the pivot of colonial transport once the railway from Katanga reached it.
Getting There
Tshikapa Airport takes light domestic flights from Kinshasa and Kananga. The main surface route is National Road 1 (RN1), which runs east from Tshikapa to Kananga and Mbuji-Mayi and west toward Kikwit and Kinshasa; the RN1 bridge over the Kasaï at Tshikapa collapsed in April 2020, and a second bridge built in 2014 north of town carries the traffic. Ilebo is reached by boat from Kinshasa up the Kasaï River, a trip of several days, and by the railway that runs from Ilebo south-east to Kananga, Mwene-Ditu and Lubumbashi. Roads inside the province are earth and become difficult in the November-to-April rains.
FAQ
What is the capital of Kasaï province?
Tshikapa, a diamond town at the confluence of the Tshikapa and Kasaï rivers. It is also the province’s only statutory city.
How many territories does Kasaï have?
Five: Dekese, Ilebo, Kamonia, Luebo and Mweka, plus the separately administered city of Tshikapa.
What language is spoken in Kasaï?
Tshiluba is the everyday language of most of the province, alongside Lingala in trade and French in official use. Chokwe and Lunda are spoken near the Angolan border.
Is Kasaï the same as Kasaï-Central?
No. Both were created in 2015 when the old Kasaï-Occidental province was divided. Kasaï’s capital is Tshikapa; Kasaï-Central’s is Kananga.
How big is Kasaï province?
95,631 km², which makes it larger than Portugal. Its projected population was 3,165,000 in 2019.
Which countries border Kasaï province?
Only Angola, along the south. The province touches the Angolan province of Lunda Norte.