Over the past years, the Made in Rwanda initiative has contributed both to Rwanda’s economic growth and the trade balance in particular. The development has seen a number of products increasingly become popular in the local market. 

Apart from the traditional items such as agaseke baskets, imigongo, themed outfits, beads, wall baskets and banana leaf bags, the five-year campaign has reduced the number of imports in the country. In 2021, these are some of the items that rose to popularity in the local market.

Women’s sandals

Walking around any city in Rwanda including Kigali, it is common to come across ladies in locally made sandals made of leather and elastic bands.

According to many ladies we spoke to, the sandals are preferred due to their comfort and compatibility to almost any outfit.

Josiane Uwera, a sandals saleswoman in Kigali adds that the sandals are cheap and stylish with different shapes, which makes them eye-catching.

Uwera sells them at Rwf 4000 and she sells around 150 pairs in a month.

Men shirts/ Women dresses

If you are a user of Instagram or other Social Media platforms, you must have come across images of events in Rwanda and in the Diaspora, where men and women are dressed in imigongo themed outfits.

Most producers of the outfits swear the outfits to be of high quality, well-designed in response to demand by locals to promote their own.

"It feels good wearing your own and not only that, they come in different shades and look fashionable than the old usual styles” says Robert Muvunyi a frequent wearer of the shirts.

According to the designers, a shirt costs from Rwf 25000 and above, while a dress costs Rwf30,000 and above.

 Hygienic products

Locally made hand sanitizers, paper towels and liquid soap have increasingly been receiving a sizable market share with most local producers citing limited capital for further expansion.

According to Lillian Uwamwezi Karangwa, the Marketing Director at Pure Homebase Ltd, based in Kicukiro District, they normally receive about 3000 orders of hand sanitizers in a month.

Sonia Mukamana, a wholesaler in Nyabugogo market says they sell about 400 bar soaps in a month.

These products became popular especially this year as most of the local entrepreneurs started operations last year. 

Kimono Jackets

The Kimono jackets are the classic T-shaped, full-length with square sleeves and rectangular body jackets that can be worn casually.

They are compatible with different outfits and shoes thanks to unique fabulous design and comfortableness.  These also increasingly became popular in 2021 due to affordability and different shades produced locally.