The Rwanda Development Board in partnership with GIZ Rwanda (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit) and Harambee Youth Employment Accelerator hosted a Global Business Services (GBS) conference which saw investors and analysts from across the world meet in Kigali to discuss investment opportunities and the incentives in place to do business in Rwanda. 

The conference was attended by a diverse range of organisations and partners, who are testament to the global business services industry’s potential in Rwanda. Tek Experts, Deriv, SolveIT, AmaliTech and others shared their experience of setting up and operating in Rwanda and the support they have received from the government, ecosystem partners, and other stakeholders to ensure their success.

“Rwanda is a safe place to work from. We have witnessed great incentives and support. To potential investors, Rwanda is open and ready to serve you to run your business successfully,” said Joseph Semafara, CEO at SolveIT. 

Godfrey Svenyika, Director at Deriv, also shared how seamless it has been to do business in Rwanda

“Rwanda makes it easy. Most services are available online, including payments. It has been a remarkable experience to start operations here from infrastructure to service delivery. We have really been supported by the government and institutions like Harambee that connected us to the right labour pool,” he said.

During the two day conference, potential investors and analysts from across the world conducted a site tour at Tek Experts to learn the role of tech businesses in Rwanda’s global business services sector and how they work with partners to get the right talent to enhance quality service delivery. 

At the conference, stakeholders discussed Rwanda’s ecosystem of digital services exporters, how to build the skills to succeed in the global business services environment, the potential of the sector in Rwanda and Africa, and the excellent value proposition that Rwanda offers as a global business services destination. 

According to the 2020 World Bank Doing Business report, Rwanda ranks 2nd for doing business in Africa and 38th in the world. With it’s fast growing economy and low risk business environment, IT readiness, security and growing ecosystem of skilling providers to address digital and language skills making it an attractive global business services destination.

Pacific Tuyishime, Acting Chief Investment Officer at the Rwanda Development Board presented support and incentives dedicated to the global business services sector investors and shared more on why Rwanda is an ideal business destination. 

“Rwanda is a great place to do business. It’s a dynamic place with an economy that has come a long way in a very short time. It’s a stable and peaceful place to set up operations and offers a transparent place that favours operations. It is proactive and is working with a variety of stakeholders to make investment a possibility and we are more eager to work with you and offer distinctive advantages to support your operations.”

In an effort to boost Rwanda’s global business services sector, the government, stakeholders and current investors participate in opportunities like this conference to showcase Rwanda not only as an outstanding destination for business but also a nation with an adequate talent pool that is ready to serve a growing number of digital services clientele.

Gary Bennett, Tek Experts’s Country Manager, called on other investors to join the global business services ecosystem in Rwanda:

“Do exactly what you need to do. Help us shape the sector and go out there and realise it. The more evangelical we are about it the more demand will draw from it,” he said. 

Analysts were impressed with Rwanda and confirmed seeing its potential as a global business services destination, particularly, as a “boutique, nearshore” services destination for investors with an interest in emerging markets and specific segments of the sector such as tech support and tourism with a focus on impact sourcing. 

Learn more about why Rwanda is an ideal global business services destination here. 

View photos of the Global Business Services conference here.