Annex 1: Living wage calculator for Kolwezi - 2024 Update*

Note : This calculation is based on the Minimum Expenditure basket (MEB) methodology and uses as a reference the UNICEF MEB conducted for Congo in 2016. It has been adapted for the Kolwezi context in consultation with Lualaba based organizations and in-person assessments of prices in the local markets in Kolwezi. It assumes an average household of 6 people (2 adults and 4 children). In October 2021, RAID and CAJJ calculated the living wage to be $402.65 and updated this amount to $480.37 in 2023. The table below provides a new calculation based on prices in Kolwezi markets in May 2024.

RAID and CAJJ adjusted the MEB as follows:

(1) We modified the “education” criteria to cater for the fact that Congo made access to primary school education free in 2019, although the practice remains that parents provide some subsidy. We calculated an average subsidy based on fees for state schools and budgetfriendly paying schools.

(2) We adapted the “food” category to portray more accurately eating habits in Kolwezi.

(3) We added a “transportation” category which was calculated considering public transport between Kolwezi and the Luilu neighbourhood where most mine workers live. (4) We added a small amount for “leisure activities” because the MEB applies only to the very minimum needs in situations of humanitarian emergencies. This was also an item added by other civil society groups when determining the living wage of artisanal miners in Congo’s Kivu provinces. *Exchange rate (on May 13th, 2024): $1 = 2,786 F...