Rwandan women entrepreneurs have been urged to take advantage of the strong business relations between Rwanda and Turkey to look for better business opportunities. 

The call was made during the just-concluded Turkey- Africa Women Entrepreneurs Trade Bridge in Istanbul, Turkey. The trade mission, which attracted 314 women from 39 African countries and 448 Turkish businesswomen, was organised by TUSKON (Confederation of Turkish Businessmen and Industrialists) in partnership with the African Union. 

The women were also challenged to develop business networks and form partnerships with their Turkish counterparts across all sectors of the economy.

"Use this visit as a platform to exchange experiences and good practices, as well as chance to identify new investment opportunities and partnerships,” Rwanda’s ambassador to Turkey, Caesar Kayizari, said. 

He said the women should use the trip as an opportunity to market Rwandan products in Turkey and Europe generally. 

Charlotte Umurerwa, a business woman who deals in stationery products, said she got a lot of useful contacts that she hopes to use to expand her business. 

The Rwanda Active Businessmen Association (Rwaba) that brings together Turkish and Rwanda’s businesses organised the Turkey-African Women Entrepreneurs Trade Bridge.  

Adem Sanliturk, the secretary general of Rwaba, said the trip was aimed at creating a chance for Rwandan businesswomen to explore business opportunities in Turkey. 

"Rwaba’s priority is to create linkages that foster mutual business dialogue and partnerships between Rwandan and Turkish business people,” Sanliturk explains. 

Rwanda Active Businessmen Association is a member of TUSKON.

He said the African Continent Trade Bridge was a special event that will greatly empower and inspire local women entrepreneurs. TUSKON, the new global brand of Turkey, with more than 140,000 member Turkish companies aims to share Turkish private sector’s industrial experiences with African companies to contribute to their growth and development targets of Africa as a whole. 

At the same event, TUSKON and African Union signed an investment agreement. 

According to the Erasmus Mwancha, the vice-president of the African Union Commission, women entrepreneurs should be celebrated and supported in every country. 

"Africa is increasingly becoming attractive and a major hub for foreign investors as a result of sound macro-economic policies, political and social reforms that the continent has been pursing, especially in the last decade, which have improved the business environment to woo foreign direct investments,” Mwancha added. 

The African Union represents 54 countries in Africa.