Country profile Rwanda
Number of Dutch companies active: 15+
Population: 14 million (2023)
Area: 26,338 km² (1.6 times smaller than the Netherlands)
GDP growth: 8.2% (2022)
Head of state: President Paul Kagame
The NABC and Rwanda
NABC’s most recent activity focused on Rwanda took place in October 2022. An outgoing international Africa Poultry exhibition and conference was organised, powered by VIV worldwide, in Kigali with 120 exhibiting companies attending from more than 20 countries. The conference focused on topics, such as biosecurity in farming, water management, food security and animal health.
In June 2020, the NABC organised a webinar about doing business in Rwanda. The recording is available via our YouTube channel.
In October 2019, a similar trade mission was organised around the Poultry Africa Summit in Kigali, in close cooperation with VNU Exhibitions and the Dutch Poultry Centre. The NABC mobilised a delegation of Dutch poultry companies and ‘African Industry Leaders’ to the Summit and developed a comprehensive mission programme.
The Poultry Africa Summit also took place in October 2017. NABC organised the trade mission, with a programme that took place in both Rwanda and Uganda. The aim of the mission was to familiarise Dutch companies in the poultry value chains to the Rwandan and Ugandan market and generate new investment and trade opportunities.
In 2015, the NABC organised both an incoming and outgoing trade mission from/to Rwanda. In June 2015, the NABC welcomed an incoming horticulture business delegation from Rwanda, including Rwanda’s Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Mrs. Gerardine Mukeshimana.
In November 2015, a livestock and horticulture trade mission took place to Rwanda that consisted of various field visits and a visit to the AgriProFocus conference ‘Promoting Innovation & Trade in Horticulture’.
In October 2015, a Rwandan Business Event was organised in cooperation with the Embassy of Rwanda in the Netherlands and the Rwandan Development Board which brought together more than 300 Rwandan and Dutch companies.
Investment climate
Rwanda has an attractive investment climate with rapid economic growth, macro-economic stability, and a reputation for low corruption. Despite being hit hard by COVID-19, Rwanda remains second in Africa for Global Competitiveness and Ease of Doing Business (38th globally). The government of Rwanda has adopted a series of policy reforms to improve Rwanda’s investment climate and increase foreign direct investment by bolstering access to credit, improving cross trade, and reducing power outages.
The country has a favourable tax regime for foreign investors and offers lower taxation on profits, corporate income and duty-free imports of raw materials and machinery. The government is committed to promote and diversify its economy through initiatives, such as ‘Made in Rwanda’.
With a strategic location between bigger markets in the region, and as member of the EAC (East Africa Community) single market with over 140 million consumers and direct flights to Amsterdam, Rwanda aspires to become a (regional) business and innovation hub.
Key investments opportunities reside within the agricultural / agro-processing, infrastructure, ICT, (off-grid) energy, real estate, manufacturing, construction and water sectors. Within the agricultural sector, there are significant opportunities in food processing, value addition, mechanisation, distribution and cold chain installations, large-scale poultry farming, horticulture and dairy products and processing. Investors benefit from the government’s willingness to provide agricultural land to private investors, and the country’s mild climate with two rainy seasons, allowing multiple growing cycles per year.
Due to Rwanda’s climate change vulnerability, the Rwanda Country Climate and Development Report (2021) prioritises the growth of specific economic sectors. These include water infrastructure development, soil conscious agriculture and low carbon energy/transport.
Challenges
Although it is easy to start a business in Rwanda (in terms of costs, time and procedures), companies’ ability to grow and attract investment is sometimes constrained by the country’s landlocked geography and relatively small domestic market. The limited access to (affordable) finance, shortage of qualified labour, high transportation costs and the lack of reliable electricity and water remain problematic. Despite these challenges, Rwanda has made impressive progress since 1994, achieving political stability, a high security level and substantial improvements in living standards. Rwanda actively promotes women and gender equality in all walks of life and provides equal access to investment facilitation and protections to both men and women.
Diplomatic relations
The Netherlands
Embassy
The Netherlands is represented in Rwanda via its Embassy in Kigali led by Ambassador Ms. Joan Wiegman. More information: www.netherlandsandyou.nl/your-country-and-the-netherlands/rwanda
Rwanda
Embassy
Rwanda is represented in the Netherlands via its Embassy in The Hague, led by Ambassador H.E. Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe. More information: https://www.rwandainthenetherlands.gov.rw/
Presence of Dutch companies
There are currently around 15 Dutch companies active in Rwanda (The Africa Strategy, 2020).
Webinars
23rd June, 2020. Doing Business in Rwanda. The recording is available via our YouTube channel.
Myrthe van der Gaast
- Kenya, Rwanda, South Africa
- myrthe.vdgaast@nabc.nl