Movit has returned to the fair with “The World of Ubwiza,” an experience inspired by Rwanda’s culture and beauty.
KIGALI – Rwanda’s annual International Trade Fair is increasingly becoming more than a place where businesses put their products on display. This year’s edition has become a very strong launch pad especially for beauty and personal-care brands.
Many say, the exhibition has become an opportunity to meet consumers face-to-face, demonstrate products, gather feedback and build the kind of familiarity that is difficult to create from a shop shelf alone.
The change is visible at this year’s 29th edition in Gikondo, where companies are using their exhibition spaces not only to sell, but also to create experiences around their brands and understand how consumers respond to their products.
Expo 2026 has given beauty companies an opportunity to meet consumers directly and understand what they need and allow them to experience different beauty products.
With more than 20 countries and hundreds of companies and traders participating, Expo 2026 provides a meeting point between businesses seeking to grow their markets and consumers looking for products that fit their needs.
For Movit, a Ugandan based beauty and personal-care products’ company with nearly three decades of experience, that connection with consumers is central to its participation.
The company has returned to the fair with “The World of Ubwiza,” an experience inspired by Rwanda’s culture and beauty, showcasing its hair care, skin care, baby care and oral care products.
“We wanted to make Expo more than a place where people see our products. It gives us an opportunity to meet consumers directly, understand what they need and allow them to experience our products,” said Evelyn Nyambaju, Market Operations Coordinator at Movit.
Turning Products into Experiences
Visitors to the Movit stand can sample products, receive beauty advice and explore products including lotions, toothpaste, moulding gel, hair treatments and herbal jellies.
Nyambaju said direct interaction is particularly valuable in the beauty and personal-care sector, where consumers often want to understand how a product works before making a purchase.
“People have different needs when it comes to their hair, skin and personal care. Being at Expo allows us to have those conversations, answer questions and help consumers make choices based on their own needs,” she said.
Movit already distributes its products through supermarkets, shops, pharmacies, cosmetic stores and salons across Rwanda.
The fair therefore offers the company an opportunity to strengthen an existing relationship with consumers rather than simply introduce its products to the market.
Regional Brands Show What Expo Can Unlock
Johana Cosmetics, a Made-in-Rwanda hair and skincare brand has so far had an amazing experience at the trade fair.
Movit’s experience is complemented by Johana Cosmetics, a Made-in-Rwanda hair and skincare brand whose experience at the trade fair shows how visibility at Expo can extend beyond the exhibition grounds.
Last year, Johana was named Best Exhibitor at the International Trade Fair. Musa Mutebi, the company’s Sales and Marketing Manager, says the recognition was important because it reflected the wider opportunities that can emerge when a brand gets the chance to meet consumers and businesses directly.
“Expo gives you visibility that you may not easily get elsewhere. You meet customers, you meet businesses and people get to understand your products better. Some of those relationships can continue long after the exhibition is over,” Mutebi said.
That visibility has accompanied Johana’s expansion, with its products now available in Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
“Being at Expo is not only about what you sell during those weeks. It is also about the people you meet, the conversations you have and the confidence that comes from putting your products in front of a wider market,” Mutebi said.
His experience underlines the broader role the trade fair is playing for beauty and personal-care businesses, giving them a physical space to introduce products, listen to consumers and create relationships that can develop into opportunities beyond the exhibition.
As more beauty brands use the platform to engage directly with the market, Expo is becoming less about simply displaying products and more about creating the connections that allow brands to grow.
