Building Context-Specific Sanitation Business Models in Eastern DRC

USAID's Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems Activity (SWASSA) invested in a 2022–2023 assessment to identify a pilot location for sanitation services ensuring safe management of the entire sanitation value chain in Bukavu, South Kivu. This assessment supported local authorities in South Kivu, a province in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in improving sanitation services. Sanergy led the sanitation component within a consortium that includes Mercy Corps and Tetra Tech. The identified container-based sanitation (CBS) business models integrated affordability, demand creation, and market-based activities to reduce risks. This brief highlights the key findings, lessons learned, actions taken, and potential opportunities for further implementation in South Kivu.