Dr. Ngabitsinze, middle and PSF Chairperson, Jean F Mubiligi visit a stand.
On Tuesday, the Minister of Trade and Industry, Prof. Chrysostome Ngabitsinze officially opened the 27th Rwanda International Trade Fair (RITF 2024) at the Private Sector Federation (PSF) Expo Grounds in Gikondo, where he visited some of the stalls of the exhibitors.
If you haven’t paid a visit to this year’s trade fair, this is the time. It was revealed that a total of 448 companies are participating in the annual international trade fair, happening for the 27th time, reflecting an increase in the number of exhibitors. Of those, 119 are foreign exhibitors from 17 countries.
Minister Ngabitsinze said the expo has grown by leaps and bounds, becoming an international attraction for international exhibitors but most importantly the trade fair has become a major showcase for ‘Made in Rwanda’ products and a platform to show the world what Rwandans can do.
“What’s special about this year’s Expo is that the products from Rwanda have been increasing and getting better in terms of quality. The expo is also an opportunity to compare what we do and collaborate with with others to see how things can be improved, in terms of what we produce,”
The 2024 Expo has a wide range of products visitors can choose from.
“I can say our expo has reached promising and impressive levels of growth and we are proud of that. We are seeing collaborative efforts between Rwandan business and businesses from elsewhere, business-to-business partnerships are being forged and our people are also able to learn,” Dr. Ngabitsinze said.
He pointed out that the expo is about giving the exhibitors a chance to showcase what they’re doing, displaying the new technologies and innovations as seen during the tour and leveraging the market and business opportunities the trade fair presents.
“They also have their counterparts who come from different countries who have different products. This in a way feeds into what we are focusing on, growing our manufacturing sector and all that,” he added.
Francoise Mubiligi, PSF Chairperson, said that this year’s expo has proved to be more diverse, bringing in traders from different countries, with different qualities of goods and services, something she said is an opportunity for Rwandans not only to buy quality products but also share knowledge and skills.
This year there are 448 exihibitors showcasing different products.
“People who came here from other countries with will see what we are doing under our Made in Rwanda initiative and also see available opportunities for trade and business. We have seen many women exhibiting what they are doing which is good and inspiring,”
“This year we have 448 exhibitors, 329 of whom are local companies and 119 foreign companies. This is a huge change compared to last year where we had 412 exhibitors. We anticipate more growth. We are looking forward to seeing the trade fair continue to grow as it has in the past,” Mubiligi said, adding that seeing more than 300 Rwandan companies exhibiting what they do is a sign of private sector growth.
From leather products to metal, steel, arts and crafts, Mubiligi said that Rwandans proved that they have diversified what they can produce and the expo should be an opportunity to engage with fellow manufactures elsewhere to produce more.
Minister Ngabitsinze talks to businessman Sina Gerard.
She pointed out that on average, between 5,000 and 10,000 visit the expo daily with the number increasing to 20,000 over the weekend. The number of attendees is also set to increase from 300, 000 last year to between 400, 000 and 450, 000 this year, which signifies growth.
That number grew from approximately 1,000 people attending daily when the expo started 27 years ago to more than 20,000 a day on weekends. The expo also grew from seven days to three weeks.
PSF eyes organising a longer expo, covering even one month in the coming years as the annual trade fair gains more popularity. To attend the expo, children and students pay Rwf500 at the entrance while adults pay Rwf1,000.
Food and beverages are in plenty.
RIB Spokesperson, Dr. Thierry B. Murangira, explains to senior officials the different services the investigative body offers.
Dr. Ngabitsinze said the annual trade fair continues to grow and attracting more exhibitors from across the globe.
