Kinshasa's best shopping is in its markets, where you can find traditional crafts alongside the chaotic abundance of everyday Congolese commerce. The most tourist-friendly of these is the Marché de la Liberté in Gombe, where vendors sell woodcarvings, masks, woven baskets, soapstone figures, and an array of Central African craft objects. Quality varies enormously, and bargaining is expected -- the first price is a starting point, not an offer.
Congolese wood carvings are the most distinctive thing to bring home: figures, masks, and decorative objects that range from tourist reproductions to genuinely fine pieces. Take time to look carefully and you will find the latter. Kitenge fabric -- the brightly patterned wax-print cotton used across Central and West Africa -- is sold by the metre at very reasonable prices and makes for both a practical and a beautiful souvenir. Look for it at the Marché Central and at fabric shops throughout Gombe.
Music recordings are another Kinshasa speciality. Congolese rumba and ndombolo are global genres, but the local market has recordings you won't find anywhere else -- live sets, regional artists, reissues of classic Franco albums. Dig around in the music stalls at the Marché Central and you will almost certainly find something worth taking home. The Zone de Libre-Echange area has additional vendors selling a mixture of goods, though navigating it requires patience and a willingness to bargain for everything.