After nearly six years in Rwanda’s engineering and construction industry, civil engineer Fiston Musoni, 30, has learned that technical skill alone does not build a lasting business; it must be matched with discipline, creativity, and trust.

Since graduating in 2019, he has steadily converted hands-on professional experience into MF Group Ltd, a growing construction and engineering firm handling residential, commercial, and mixed-use projects in Kigali.

Musoni’s entrepreneurial journey began shortly after graduation. In 2020, he secured employment with an established construction firm while registering his own company on the side, using daily site exposure to refine his independent practice and build market visibility.

"As I worked at my employment, I also pushed my company along, starting with design services,” Musoni told The New Times. "With time and exposure, I began offering small services to see how clients would perceive my work.”

Those early assignments, largely design-focused, served as a testing ground for client relations, cost control, and execution discipline.

"Working on small projects improved my confidence every day,” he said. "They also pushed me to create enough time for my clients and to be accessible whenever they needed me.”

From exposure to independence

Musoni’s professional growth was shaped by involvement in major developments in Kigali, including the Defence Attaché Complex for the Egyptian Embassy, the University of Rwanda headquarters, Kacyiru Mixed-Use Development, the School of Mining and Geology, Ngali Holdings Complex, Green Ledger, and Green Leisure Park.

According to him, these projects bridged the gap between academic theory and on-site realities, sharpening his understanding of coordination, compliance, and constructability.

"They showed me the difference between what we study and what happens on the ground,” he said. "That experience pushed me to pursue my own vision.”

He later transitioned fully into independent practice, driven by the need for creative control, affordability, and job creation.

"I wanted the freedom to execute projects as I envisioned, introduce costs that match quality, and create jobs,” Musoni said. "Not just follow the mindset of always working for established firms.”

What began as a design-based operation has evolved into MF Group Ltd, now offering architectural and interior design, project management, quantity surveying, sustainable design, construction, and renovation services.

Musoni acknowledges that penetrating Rwanda’s construction industry is challenging, especially for firms starting with limited capital and networks. His approach has been to prioritize technical knowledge, teamwork, and client trust over rapid expansion.

"When I officially started, we were just two people with limited capital,” he recalled. "But my drive was using knowledge to offer quality and satisfying services, more than focusing on money.”

Teamwork as strategy

For Musoni, collaboration is a business model rather than an option. Instead of financing projects upfront, he prioritized pooling specialized expertise and selling professional value.

"I have always worked as a team,” he explained. "Instead of thinking you need money to execute projects, combine knowledge with others and sell that value to the client.”

That approach allowed MF Group Ltd to expand its service scope. Today, the firm integrates civil works, electrical and water installations, landscaping, and security systems, reducing reliance on external providers.

"If someone studied electrical or water engineering, they will deliver better in that area,” Musoni said. "Teamwork improves results.”

Trust, creativity, cost discipline

Musoni emphasized that technical delivery must be anchored in professional integrity.

"Keeping your promises to the client and delivering exactly what you agreed matters a lot,” he said. "Trust is reflected when clients connect you to others, even without saying much.”

Creativity, he added, remains central to his practice, particularly in differentiating projects while maintaining structural efficiency.

"You must know the difference between what you offer to one client and another,” Musoni said. "Innovation keeps the business chain moving.”

He also cautioned against inflated budgets driven by unnecessary architectural elements, noting that value engineering can reduce costs without compromising quality. In this context, he explained that pricing often reflects how well expectations are aligned between the client and the service provider.

"Two providers can deliver the same villa at different costs,” he said. "It all comes back to mutual understanding. We have a conversation around your desired services and discuss the prices entailed by quality and architectural details.”

Client vision, timely delivery

Understanding and complementing a client’s vision, rather than imposing one, is another principle guiding MF Group Ltd.

"You must critically analyze the client’s idea, advise where necessary, and enhance it in ways that benefit them,” Musoni said, adding, "Respecting agreed timelines means everything. Where possible, deliver earlier.”

Musoni also credited Rwanda’s governance and planning systems for supporting the construction industry, citing master plans, physical development frameworks, and streamlined business registration processes.

"With peace, order, and clear planning instruments, construction operates within a predictable system,” he noted. "That supports business growth.”

Among MF Group Ltd’s projects in the pipeline is the proposed Agaba Hotel in Kiyovu, a 13-tower development featuring a suspended glass swimming pool—an architectural concept not yet common in Rwanda.

"That could be the first glass-bottom swimming pool of its kind here,” Musoni said.

Addressing perceptions that foreign firms deliver better quality than local ones, Musoni described the mindset as outdated.

"Rwandan engineers study internationally and share the same knowledge,” he said. "They deserve opportunities. Foreign expertise should complement local capacity, especially for projects introducing new concepts.”

Looking ahead, Musoni envisions contributing to Kigali’s evolving skyline and Rwanda’s broader development agenda, in line with MF Group Ltd’s motto: to create clients’ vision in real life.

"I want to be part of the development journey,” he said. "Bringing globally recognized structures home.”

"I grew up loving building, even before I knew it was a career,” he reflected. "When I discovered it could be studied and pursued, I went for it, and I still love doing it.”