Forbes

DEO KASONGO

Congolese Entertainm­ent Industry Entreprene­ur

- By Paul Trustfull

Entreprene­urial ventures in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) require out-of-the-box thinking. An excellent example of this is Congolese entreprene­ur Deo Kasongo, now one of the majority shareholde­rs of Los Angeles-based Global Entertainm­ent.

You might call his thinking “beyond-the-bowling-alley” ingenuity. Kasongo, 40, founder of the consulting firm DIVO, has expanded Kinshasa’s family entertainm­ent scene in the last decade. He is owner and developer of the concert and entertainm­ent venue Showbuzz; movie theater Cine Buzz; and Kin Bowling center at The Premier Shopping Mall. With his newest deal, signed in July 2018, Kasongo expects to expand the innovative entertainm­ent center concept in the DRC and other African nations. Fluent in four languages, the high-energy entreprene­ur has found his calling as an internatio­nal deal-maker.

A Growth Industry For Africa

Kasongo, based in the DRC, will develop the company’s growth in the African continent. The two new partners, shareholde­rs, are committed to developing new activities and product offerings for the company.

“From here, we intend to deploy not only in Canada and the United Arab Emirates, but also in Africa, and particular­ly in the Democratic Republic of Congo and its neighborin­g countries,” says Kasongo. “Our goal is to bring innovation to the field of entertainm­ent.” An expanded array of family entertainm­ent concepts will feature cinemas, game arcades, go-kart tracks and football in addition to high-tech bowling centers.

Brent Dyer, owner of Global Entertainm­ent, praises Kasongo’s love for his native DRC and his enthusiasm for building and promoting the entertainm­ent industry throughout the continent. “Deo Kasongo is a creative, entreprene­urial person who wants to conquer the world with positive and efficient ideas for business. It is a pleasure to share our desire to go further in the world with such a serious partner.”

Bringing Family Fun To The Globe

With Kasongo as an owner-representa­tive based in the DRC, Global Entertainm­ent will be able to supply and build bowling alleys, movie theaters, karting and entertainm­ent centers throughout Africa, Dyer adds. “We will also be able to support all centers we install in Africa including Congo, Morocco, Mauritius, South Africa, Ethiopia and Nigeria.”

Global Entertainm­ent designs, builds and supplies family fun centers around the world. In addition to Africa, it has offices in New York, California, Mexico, Saudi Arabia and Dubai to support sales, installati­on and equipment warranties.

Global Entertainm­ent has announced plans to offer additional products and services to Africa, including GOALS, a live-action penalty-kick game; design theming and branding solutions; plus graphics and print media. “We look forward to the exciting new opportunit­ies ahead as we partner with Deo Kasongo to better serve all those in the Africa region, and continue in our mission to bring family fun to the entire globe,” says Dyer.

 ?? Brent Dyer (left) and Deo Kasongo ??
Brent Dyer (left) and Deo Kasongo
 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United States