The Bantu family entrepreneurship: a case of clan solidarity in the Democratic Republic of Congo

This paper aims to explore the specificities of Bantu family entrepreneurship. Based on the case of family entrepreneurship in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we used three reading grids related to the context: the clan solidarity, the economic crisis and the Congolese family legislation. We analyzed qualitative data (Miles and Huberman, 1994) collected from three Bantu family entrepreneurships of Bukavu – an important urban center in eastern DRC. Our results indicate the central role of clan solidarity and the social responsibility of Bantu entrepreneurship. From a managerial point of view, the Bantu founder should assume a role as manager of the business and as a father of his clan members. The successor of the founder must ensure that he gradually reduces extended family influence in the business. This does not mean to abandon systematically family members. The successor should rather find a balance between the social responsibility and the growth or at least the survival of the business.