Tshikapa is the capital city of Kasaï Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is situated at the confluence of the Tshikapa and Kasai rivers, located approximately 60 km (37 mi) north of the Angolan border and 189 km (117 mi) west of Kananga.
The city has experienced significant demographic changes over recent decades. Records from the Utrecht University library indicate that the population grew from 38,900 in 1970 to 180,900 by 1994. While the Congo wars and the Kamwina Nsapu rebellion caused waves of internal displacement and temporary relocation, current estimates for 2025 place the population of Tshikapa and its urban agglomeration at approximately 1,185,920.