3 Years & 5 Months in Kinshasa: Why I Stopped Podcasting Artwork

SUBALI Podcast

From London Heathrow to Kinshasa N’djili.

People kept asking me the same question: “What’s life really like in Congo?”

Instead of answering it over and over again, I started SUBALI.

Born and raised in London, my relationship with Kinshasa began in 2021 when what was meant to be a three-week holiday turned into an unexpected 11-month stay. In 2023, I moved to Kinshasa for work and have been building my life here ever since.

Through conversations and my own experiences, I explore life in modern Congo — the things that surprise me, challenge me, make me question what I thought I knew, and the people and stories I encounter along the way.

Whether you’re part of the diaspora, living or working in Congo, doing business here, considering a move, or simply curious to learn more, you’re welcome.

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SUBALI Podcast

3 Years & 5 Months in Kinshasa: Why I Stopped Podcasting

August 20, 2026 • SUBALI

0:00 | 5:59

Two years away from the podcast and here I am.

I've now been living in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for 3 years and 5 months. But the reason I stopped recording wasn't because I had nothing to say. In many ways, it was because living in Kinshasa has been difficult - and sometimes simply getting through life leaves little space to press record.

Now I'm asking myself - and you - what should this podcast become?

Should I solely share my experiences of living in Kinshasa? Niche' down into talking about visiting, working, business, investing, expats, NGO's, the Congolese economy? Do I dare to mention religion and / or politics? Should I bring other voices into the conversation?

If you're interested in Congo, Kinshasa, African business, investment, culture, life in the DRC or the Congolese diaspora, I'd like to hear from you.

What would you like to know, see or hear?

Email me at hello@subali.co and tell me.

This is a revival. Whether it becomes a new beginning or the final episode is partly up to you.

Listen. Tell me what you want. Let's see where this goes.

Have a question, comment or feedback?

I’d love to hear from you.

hello@subali.co

SPEAKER_01 0:09

Bonjour à tous, bonsoir, jumbo, good afternoon, good morning, good evening.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

I've been wanting to record this for the past six months minimum and I just haven't known what to say what to do. It's been three years and five months that I have now been living in Kinshasa. I will actually call it surviving in Kinshasa and I think I've now crossed the curb to now live in Kinshasa and that's not because the situation has changed but because my frame of mind has my mentality my that is a frame of mind but it's in the head basically and I've been contemplating as to whether or not I should continue recording and I thought I just came back from a break. Um and when I say break, time outside of Kinshasa, and don't get me wrong, I have been travelling in and out of Kinshasa, and I had a friend who once told me before moving to Kinchester that in order for you to survive Kinshasa you have to leave every three months, and I thought she was exaggerating, and I can confirm, in my opinion, she was not. Is this for myself? Is this for other people? What what is the aim? What is the objective of this? And so I'm gonna give it to you. If you're listening, please do let me know what it is that you need to hear about someone like myself who born and raised in the UK, have been here in Kinshasa for the last three years. Plus, as a Congolese woman, um would you want to know? Would you want to hear? Do you even want to hear from me? Do you want to hear from other people? And a disclaimer, if I can even call it a disclaimer, and is it needed? Maybe not, but I'm gonna say it anyway. I struggle to listen to my voice notes, bad on bad voice notes, to my episodes, previous episodes, because I think I have grown since then. My um way of seeing things is different. Um my take of things is different, my experiences have um enabled me to just move differently and think differently and more. But I don't want to waffle, I just want to know what you want to hear, what you want to see, what you want to and that's another thing. Do I go visual? Would you like to see my pretty face and others? Because I will not be coming on camera by myself, and I don't even think that's an option to be honest with you. But um, let me know your thoughts. Let me know what you want to hear. Those who're thinking of coming to visit the DRC Kinshasa specifically, let me know. Those thinking of working or buying or investing, let me know what do you want to know, who do you want to speak to, who do you want to listen to? You know, um let me know. I have an email, it is hello at subali point co so hello h e l o at subali s-u-b a l-i dot co email me and I will definitely definitely definitely will see it and I will respond because I'm curious. And if it's not worthwhile then we say goodbye. We leave it alone. But um yeah, I'm still here and why I haven't recorded it's been hard. You I struggle to even get enough sleep, let alone bring out this mic and my laptop to record. So um let me know.