Trajet Ngamba - RN1 COMPLEX

Reanimating Ancient Trade Knowledge2024Kasumbalesa - Lubumbashi

Trajet Ngamba is the ongoing project of Hadassa on creating links within Africa and between Africa and other continents. One pillar focuses on the sophisticated pre-colonial trade routes that once defined the commerce of the Kongo kingdoms. A 40-day journey in Kongo-Central (2019) revealed a sophisticated legacy of trade networks established by postcolonial Congolese pioneers, a legacy which includes her own father.

Ngamba engaged with local dignitaries (Chef Coutumiers) who explained to her the mechanics of the National Route Number 1 (RN1). They detailed its major nodes, operational systems, and the original trade incentives that led to the creation of these trade networks in Kongo with nodes like Malebo and Mbanza-Ngugungu serving as established trade centers. All their knowledge was traced on a textile, a collaborative effort to map the trade networks.

By demonstrating that the RN1's longevity stemmed from its alignment with older trade nodes and its foundation in reciprocal commercial interactions, the project reclaims both the route's symbolic and functional ownership.

This research led to a performance at the Lubumbashi Biennial in 2024.