A shoes shop owner helps a client in Muhanga District Market (Photo by Mugisha Don de Dieu/Flickr)
In a bustling corner of Nyabugogo market, 29-year-old Jeanne Uwase arranges her stall every morning, carefully laying out shoes and clothes she sells to passersby. There’s no boss giving her instructions, no steady salary at the end of the month. Every day is a gamble.
“I created this job for myself,” she says with a proud but cautious smile. “If I don’t come to work, I don’t eat.”
Jeanne is not alone. She is part of a growing class of Rwandans who have decided to become their own employers.
According to the latest findings from the 2025 Quarter 1 Labour Force Survey (LFS), 25.3% of all employed Rwandans are independent workers without employees — a stunning sign of the country’s entrepreneurial spirit but also a warning signal about the fragility of these livelihoods.
The survey, which counted 4.73 million employed people across the country, shows that while Rwanda’s economy continues to expand, many citizens are navigating it on their own, operating small, often informal businesses.
Entrepreneurship or Economic Vulnerability?
The new data is Rwanda’s first under the International Classification of Status in Employment (ICSE-18), a global standard that better captures the realities of modern working life.
One significant change is the recognition of dependent contractors — workers who seem self-employed but are still tied to one client or platform — making up 8% of the workforce.
But it’s the 1-in-4 figure for pure self-employment that raises urgent questions.
Is it a symbol of dynamism and creativity? Or is it a symptom of a formal economy that cannot create enough decent jobs?
Economists have suggested it’s both.
Independent workers — moto-taxi drivers, informal traders, carpenters, artisans — embody Rwanda’s can-do spirit.
In comparison to countries like Kenya (33%) or Ghana (40%), Rwanda’s proportion is lower but still significant. Similar to Vietnam (23%), where micro-entrepreneurs are said to have been successfully integrated into national supply chains, Rwanda has an opportunity to harness this grassroots energy.
Yet without proper support, many of these workers risk remaining stuck in survival mode — unable to expand, to invest, to hire, or even to weather small economic shocks.
The Risks Beneath the Resilience
Despite Rwanda’s strong progress — including falling unemployment to 11.1% and a rising employment-to-population ratio of 56% — the LFS also reveals worrying signals.
Labour underutilization, which includes those working too few hours or trapped in unstable jobs, has increased to 53.7%.
And while many Rwandans are working, quality of employment remains a serious concern.
Independent workers often: – Operate without social protection like retirement savings; have trouble accessing affordable credit; Are vulnerable to market shocks like illness, bad weather, or rising costs; Work informally, missing out on benefits of formalization like larger markets, government tenders, or business support.
In short, their entrepreneurship is real — but so is their fragility.
What Rwanda Can Do
The government and policymakers now face a clear challenge: support independent workers to grow and formalize, without crushing their flexibility.
Interventions could include:l: – Expanding low-interest microfinance accessible even to informal entrepreneurs; Offering training programs in digital literacy, marketing, and financial management; Simplifying business registration and linking it to benefits like loans and market access; Introducing micro-insurance schemes for informal workers; Promoting digital platforms that help small businesses track sales, receive payments, and find new customers.
Back at her market stall, Jeanne Uwase says she dreams of one day expanding her business, hiring assistants, and opening a shop.
“But I need capital. I need some security,” she says, glancing at the dark clouds gathering overhead — a fitting metaphor for both the physical and economic uncertainties she faces daily.
If Rwanda wants to meet its ambitious Vision 2050 goals and move toward an upper-middle-income economy, supporting workers like Jeanne will be key. Their resilience, creativity, and drive have already carried the country far.
The real question now is whether the systems will be built around them — systems that transform survival entrepreneurship into sustainable, inclusive economic growth.
Their dreams are not just their own anymore. They are the foundation of Rwanda’s future.
