The idea of mobile food trucks may not be appealing to a conservative culture that is not accustomed to street food. However, Saad Gatesire demonstrates, by example, that operating a food truck can be a profitable economic venture.

The 26-year-old built his own truck from scratch out of recycled truck parts. "Because I didn’t have enough money to establish a restaurant, I had to be innovative and come up with a solution that could generate an income,” he says. 

Gatesire, who was unable to continue with studies and secure a job for a long time, sat down to watch YouTube tutorials on how to recycle obsolete vehicle spare parts, which is where he got the skills to fabricate his truck—‘Scoops’.

Starting ‘Scoops’

Gatesire moved to Musanze in 2016 to help a friend start a coffee shop. "Because I didn’t have a job, I volunteered to help a friend open a coffee business. I suppose that’s where I learned to be an entrepreneur,” he says.

Gatesire started a mobile food business in a truck made from recycled obsolete vehicle spare parts. All photos/Courtesy

"He inspired me to start something for myself,” he says, adding, "So I started by selling ice cream while parked at Crema in Musanze.”

Gatesire had no competition in the area, but he found it difficult to sell ice cream in a frigid environment like Musanze, a district in the Northern Province of Rwanda. 

"As I expanded, more people became aware of my work and appreciated it. They’d invite me to birthday parties and other social gatherings to provide refreshments.”

Gatesire says he is proud of the progress so far, and makes a solid living from his food truck business, but he has bigger ambitions.

The dream

"I’ve imagined several times a picture of Kigali, Rwanda as a whole, hosting large events and concerts. A rendering of what it might look like to have mobile food trucks at the gates of such public events, at cinemas, or any other venue where refreshments would be more than welcome.

"Imagine a scenario in which merchants go to buyers instead of the other way around. All of the while keeping Kigali clean and organised as usual,” he says.

Food truck operations are no exception to Rwanda’s standard business regulations, he says. "For example, ‘Scoops’, my business, was officially registered in 2019 and was examined to determine whether it fits the government’s standards of cleanliness and so on,” he adds.

Gatesire’s vision is to establish a Made in Rwanda firm that manufactures food trucks. "The lack of capital is still a barrier, so I’m not sitting around waiting for it to happen. I’m already assisting other young people who want to make their own food trucks or just moveable business trucks,” he explains.

According to Gatesire, the advantages of mobile business trucks include low start-up costs, free advertising, and the ability to adapt to different locations in the event of a gig.

He also believes that the concept of food trucks is appropriate for the contemporary reality brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Crowded areas are discouraged as part of the anti-Covid-19 measures. So having items delivered to you in a short distance, packaged in takeaways for you to take home or to work, reinforces the social distancing policy,” he remarks.

He encourages people to normalise food truck businesses saying, "I know young people don’t have an issue with this. They have probably seen it in movies or elsewhere abroad, but also our communities at large should not shy away from this form of business.”  

You can reach Gatesire on 0789633908