Africa’s new palm oil frontier: PHC positions DRC for growth and invites Malaysian collaboration
The Edge Markets (01/12/2025) - When conversations arise about the future of the global palm oil industry, attention has long remained centred on Malaysia and Indonesia. But quietly and strategically, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is emerging as the next major frontier — and no company embodies this momentum more than Plantations et Huileries du Congo (PHC).
In an industry long dominated by Southeast Asian giants, PHC is rewriting the narrative and at its helm is a rare figure — CEO Monique Gieskes, a dynamic woman leader in agribusiness, since February 2021.
Under her stewardship, PHC is positioning DRC as Africa’s new frontier for the global palm oil industry, and is actively inviting Malaysian industry players to participate in building the continent’s next palm oil powerhouse.
CPOPC accession: A strategic gateway for expansion
The accession of DRC to the Council of Palm Oil Producing Countries (CPOPC) in 2025 was a pivotal point in the company’s growth path — a milestone heavily facilitated by PHC.
This membership does more than just place the DRC on the global palm oil map. It aligns the country with internationally recognised standards.
According to Gieskes, the development signals a new phase of industry maturity. “CPOPC’s membership is transformative for us. The membership is more than an endorsement. It is a gateway,” she explains. “It gives the DRC access to structured technical support, knowledge transfer and global cooperation. It is essential for modernising our sector, attracting international partners and building a sustainable future.”
CPOPC membership provides a recognised policy and governance framework that strengthens the DRC’s credibility, signals regulatory stability and enhances investor confidence, particularly for Malaysian partners familiar with CPOPC’s standards and mechanisms. The accession also creates a direct institutional bridge for collaboration in breeding, agronomy, technology exchange and sustainability, aligning the DRC with the same global structures that have shaped Malaysia’s leadership in the palm oil sector.
Women’s leadership with impact
Gieskes, who has more than 30 years of cross-continental experience spanning commercial, legal and financial roles across Europe, Asia and Africa, has led PHC through the significant transformation.
Since taking the reins, she has increased PHC’s production by 82% over four years, strengthened governance and elevated local communities in their areas of operation. Her leadership has been marked by an emphasis on operational discipline, sustainability and building a resilient workforce.
For Gieskes, her role as a woman in leadership carries particular significance. She often speaks about the broader impact of women leading agribusinesses in regions where structural barriers have historically limited female leadership.
Her message is consistent and powerful: “There is no limit to what we, as women, can accomplish,” she affirms in leadership forums. Her recognition on the continental stage further amplifies this. In 2025, she received the Special African Business Leadership Commendation Award from the African Leadership Magazine, a testament to her transformative leadership and the renewed direction she has brought to PHC.
Additionally, the number of women employees at PHC has grown tremendously from 4% to 16% in the last three years.
“Every step forward we take is the result of their — our employees’ — commitment and relentless drive to excel,” Gieskes remarks, dedicating her 2025 leadership award to PHC staff.
Her approach underscores a broader shift within agribusiness, where emerging markets are increasingly benefiting from diverse leadership perspectives. In the case of PHC, Gieskes is doing more than steering day-to-day operations. She is shaping a long-term vision centred on inclusive, sustainable growth and deep, meaningful partnerships with international stakeholders.
A CEO with a vision — and a company with purpose
Gieskes emphasises that growth at PHC is not simply about expanding plantation hectares or increasing output. For her, the company’s mission is anchored in shared prosperity — producing palm oil in a way that enhances food security, strengthens local economies and protects the environment and biodiversity.
Under her leadership, PHC has built more than 71 boreholes providing the local population with easy access to clean water. PHC has also constructed and equipped four referral hospitals, four health centres and 16 dispensaries.
The company has also built and rehabilitated 43 schools while reinforcing its zero-deforestation commitments, where only 30% of PHC’s more than 100,000ha of land is used for the growth of oil palm, prioritising forest preservation. The company has also signed agreements with 52 smallholders.
Gieskes attributes PHC’s turnaround to Kuramo Capital Management, PHC’s majority shareholder, which acquired the company in 2020. Following the acquisition, Kuramo put in place local (Congolese) leadership with Gieskes at the helm — a decision that was driven by its vision of shared prosperity and improving the lives of the people. To date, PHC is the largest private sector employer in the DRC, second to the government, with over 10,000 employees on direct contracts.
“Kuramo took a chance on PHC and believed in its ability to reinvent itself and thrive. Our success story is clear proof that a company run by Africans, for Africans, can thrive and embody a model of equal opportunity and sustainable development. Agriculture is a powerful lever for building sustainable prosperity, capable of transforming lives and boosting the economy.”
A fertile frontier ready for collaboration — where land, demand and opportunity converge
Malaysia is already deeply woven into PHC’s operations. Much of the company’s equipment, technical inputs and plantation practices draw from Malaysian expertise. But PHC is now looking beyond procurement. It is seeking deeper, strategic partnerships anchored in technology transfer, agronomic innovation and long-term commercial collaboration.
PHC’s expansion plans include increasing its mill capacity, building a palm oil refinery and constructing a biogas plant for electricity generation. With abundant fertile land, tropical rainfall, a youthful work force and strong domestic demand, the country is primed for industrial-scale palm oil development.
As global palm oil markets evolve, Africa is becoming increasingly central to the sector’s next phase of growth — and PHC is positioning the DRC at the heart of that shift. Backed by CPOPC membership, guided by strong leadership and supported by Malaysian technical depth, PHC is creating the conditions for one of the decade’s most significant frontier expansions. For Malaysian investors, the opportunity is clear — and PHC stands ready to collaborate.