The following year he was stationed in Léopoldville, and the editor of the army's newspaper, Sango Ya Biso, tapped him as a photographer for the publication.

[2][1] Later in 1956[3] or 1957[4] Makula was hired by Congopresse, the Belgian Congo's official press agency, as its first Congolese photographer.

He mainly photographed évolués, educated Congolese who formed an elite social group in the colony.

Unlike his European colleagues, Makula took few photographs of official ceremonies or visiting foreign dignitaries.

[3] Following Congolese independence in 1960, Congopresse's European staff departed, and Makula went to Belgium for a training course in photography.