Social
Uplifting the Communities We Serve
We recognise our role as the most significant private sector employer in the DRC, and the potential we hold for driving new levels of shared prosperity and growth. We are committed to unlocking new socio-economic development opportunities for our country, our employees, and the communities we serve through access to education, skills training, healthcare, food and safe water.
Upskilling our team and communitites
As the largest private sector employer in the DRC, PHC supports close to 10,000 employees, with initiatives like the PHC Academy established to foster skill development and career growth.
In 2023, we empowered 11,000 individuals through targeted training in environmental protection, reinforcing our commitment to enhancing community livelihoods and fostering sustainable stewardship of our planet. By investing in upskilling and capacity building, we are not only creating knowledgeable advocates for the environment but also ensuring that communities thrive while safeguarding their natural resources for future generations. In 2023, more than 100 training sessions – both formal and informal – were organised, benefiting our 10,000 employees.
PHC Foundation
Launched on September 5, 2023 in Lokutu , Tshopo province , the PHC Foundation was established to create prosperous and sustainable opportunities for rural communities.
Its main objective is to amplify and expand the social development actions led by PHC as part of its corporate social responsibility – helping empower young people and women through entrepreneurship, promoting affordable housing options, protecting endangered species, improving access to health, hygiene, water and good nutrition, and providing quality education.
To find out more about the Foundation:
Improving health outcomes
PHC operates a network of 4 modern hospitals, 3 health centres, and 18 dispensaries, to help increase access to quality care in remote, rural areas. All PHC employees and their families are treated completely free of charge, with local communities also able to access medical treatment at heavily subsidized rates. So far PHC has provided free healthcare services to over 150,000 patients.
In 2024, PHC invested US$ 370,000 in medical equipment, enhancing services with new X-ray and analysis machines. PHC has built and equipped 34 primary schools and reconstructed 13 health centres using sustainable materials to benefit local communities.
Enhancing food and water security
The DRC has a highly favourable climate for agriculture, yet has cultivated less than 10% of its more than 80 million hectares of arable land. There is also a favourable political climate with the DRC Government actively supporting agricultural investment to diversify the economy. As the largest producer of palm oil in the DRC, and the largest private sector employer, PHC is ideally positioned to capitalise on these strong growth trends.
As part of its community development programme, PHC leads several agricultural development projects that empower local populations to improve their incomes through training in regenerative practices. PHC collaborates with local farmers through agricultural producer organisations, offering training and resources for sustainable farming practices
We are proud to actively contribute to the DRC’s Agricultural Transformation Agenda, achieving significant milestones along the way. To date, we have produced 54 tons of high-quality food seeds, directly supporting local farmers in boosting agricultural productivity. Through our Community Development Programme, we have established 85 producer organisations comprising 2,000 community members, with 30% of participants being women. These organisations empower members to enhance their incomes and livelihoods by focusing on skill development, value addition, and increased agricultural output.
Access to clean water in the DRC is a major challenge, despite the country having over 50% of Africa’s water reserves. To improve this situation, PHC has built more than 71 boreholes both inside and outside its concessions, providing local populations with easy to access drinking water. PHC regularly maintains these boreholes, with specialized teams regularly analysing the water quality.
