Democratic Republic of the Congo · Kinshasa City · Kinshasa
Mont Ngafula, Kinshasa — Area Guide & Where to Stay
Wooded ridges drop toward the Lukaya River valley at Mont Ngafula, a hilly southern commune of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Kimwenza sits on the plateau above the city. There the Petites Chutes de la Lukaya break over a low ledge, and the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary keeps its forest beside them.
About Mont Ngafula
Where to stay in Mont Ngafula
Not every neighbourhood fits every trip — here's what each one is good for.
Mont Ngafula has few places to sleep, and most visitors stay in central Kinshasa and drive south for the day. The ground worth aiming for is Kimwenza, the plateau settlement that puts the Petites Chutes de la Lukaya, Lac Ma Vallée and the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary within a short drive of one another. Most beds sit in Kimwenza.
If you want the falls and the forest without a long transfer, Kimwenza is the base that suits you, and anything else means a return trip from the city centre.
About Mont Ngafula
What are the main landmarks in Mont Ngafula?
Mont Ngafula gathers its landmarks around Kimwenza, where the church of Sainte Marie de Kimwenza stands on the plateau above the city. Loyola University of Congo teaches nearby under the Society of Jesus. Just south, the Petites Chutes de la Lukaya break over a low step in the Lukaya River, and the Lola ya Bonobo sanctuary for orphaned bonobos holds the forest immediately beside them.
The drop is slight. Lac Ma Vallée, an artificial lake within the commune, lies close to the same ground.
What is the history of Mont Ngafula?
Mont Ngafula was settled late, and the hills south of Kinshasa carried little more than villages until the twentieth century was well advanced. The exception was Kimwenza, where Jesuit missionaries established themselves in 1893. Their mission became the parish church of Sainte Marie de Kimwenza, and the Society of Jesus has taught on the plateau ever since, latterly through Loyola University of Congo.
Claudine André founded Lola ya Bonobo in 1994 and moved the sanctuary to the Petites Chutes de la Lukaya in 2002. Bonobos have lived in that forest since.
Where is Mont Ngafula?
Mont Ngafula occupies the southern end of Kinshasa and ranks third among the city's communes by extent. Makala lies to the north, Lemba and Kisenso to the east, Selembao to the west, and the province of Kongo Central runs along the southern edge. Hills carry most of it.
The Lukaya River valley cuts across the southern portion of the commune, and wooded slopes cover much of the rest.
More areas in Kinshasa
Updated September 2026