Customers in Singapore and across the world will now have easy access to some of Rwanda’s traditional products following a move by the country’s leading online supermarket, RedMart, to trade them online.
The development was announced by Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, Rwanda’s High Commissioner to Singapore on Monday, March 1.
According to Amb. Uwihanganye, the traditional products including coffee will also debut on the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) FairPrice, Singapore’s largest supermarket chain.
The company has 100 supermarkets across the country.
"Rwanda’s products are now on the most popular e-commerce platforms in Singapore and the largest supermarket chain. Coffee and Kawah are now on RedMart and Shopee SG. Kawah is also at FairPrice SG mall at Marina Parade.” Amb Uwihanganye said on Twitter.
Coffee and tea are among Rwanda's leading foreign exchange revenue earners. The new development is will diversify the market for the country's traditional exports and boost revenues.
Data from the National Agricultural Export Development Board, (NAEB), indicates that in 2020, Rwanda generated $55,219,441 from coffee exports, fetching an average price of $3.4 per kilogramme.
The total volume of coffee exports to Singapore stood at 825,143 Kilograms in the same period.
The New Times understands that the move follows a recent partnership between Rwanda and Singapore Business Federation (SBF), a deal that among others seeks to facilitate trade in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) as well as globally.
Under the partnership, various businesses are linked online to allow suppliers to connect with buyers as part of the efforts to establish the manufacturer-reseller partnership.
As of January this year, more than 90 Rwandan firms had been introduced to the portal to allow them directly market their products and services to other investors across sectors.
Rwanda and Singapore are currently cooperating in different aspects, most notably in aviation, investment, and public service management.
Total investments by the Asian state in Rwanda amounted to $145 million in 2018.