Rwanda is experiencing a steady increase in the outsourcing business, a trend reflected in the growth of the global business services sector, which has expanded by 39.7 per cent over the last two years, creating over 4,000 jobs. These findings were shared during the inaugural Global Business Services (GBS) Awards 2025, held at Mövenpick Kigali on Thursday, November 2025. The event, organised by GBS Growth Initiative (GBS GI), aimed to celebrate excellence, innovation, and the transformative impact of the country’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Information Technology Outsourcing (ITO) sectors. It convened government leaders, industry executives, development partners, and hundreds of young professionals whose work is shaping Rwanda’s role in the global digital economy. ALSO READ: Rwanda to become global services destination - report The GBS Growth Initiative was established to accelerate Rwanda’s competitiveness in the global digital economy and has played a key role in building momentum in the key sector. The GBS GI data show an exponential growth in job creation, mounting from 2,853 in 2024 to 4,000 in September 2025. The job roles include customer experience, technical support, digital operations, and software development, among others. The sector's growth is currently at 39.7 per cent and now counts over 40 companies, with international clients driving 85 per cent of the demand compared to 15 per cent from local consumers. In terms of gender distribution, the workforce is made up of 44 per cent women and 56 per cent men. The GBS Awards were more than a celebration, but a statement of Rwanda’s readiness to compete globally and recognition of companies and individuals that demonstrated exceptional performance in service excellence, innovation, workforce development, and positive social impact. Speaking at the event, Sharmi Surianarain, the GBS GI Board Chair, emphasised the sector’s role in unlocking youth potential and shaping Rwanda and Africa’s future. She highlighted that while in its initiation, the idea of Rwanda becoming a global outsourcing hub seemed impossible, but the result promises a fruitful future. “This is not just growth, it is transformation, because every job represents a story, family, and future. It is not just jobs alone, because this is a sector that is powered by inclusion,” Surianarain said, noting that women hold over 40 per cent roles across both ITO and BPO. Among the GBS GI initiative strategic pillars are investment promotion, which ensures that Rwanda gains greater visibility as an emerging outsourcing destination through international roadshows, targeted B2B meetings, and global partnerships. GBS GI also focuses on policy advocacy through collaborations with national institutions to address sector bottlenecks, improving competitive incentives, streamlining regulations, and improving ease of doing business, among others. ALSO READ: How Rwanda is positioning itself as a global business service destination Additionally, the initiative enforces talent development through active collaboration with higher education institutions and provides training to strengthen workforce capabilities. Christine Nkulikiyinka, the Minister of Public Service and Labour, congratulated the awardees, emphasising that the story of the global business services sector is not just a narrative of economic development, but a testament to what is possible when vision, policy, and partnership come together with clarity and purpose. “In a world increasingly driven by knowledge, digital capability, and service-based industries, we understood that GBS could be a strategic pillar for economic growth, job creation, and global competitiveness. Our role has been deliberate and proactive,” Nkulikiyinka explained. “We have worked to create an enabling environment through targeted policies, stable governance, and investments in infrastructure, both digital and physical.” She underscored that the presence of global GBS firms generated a positive effect that strengthened Rwanda’s investor confidence, knowledge transfer, and encouraged complementary industries to join Rwanda’s service sector. A night of celebration and recognition The awarding ceremony celebrated companies making an impact, especially through the efforts of employees, most of whom are the youth creating a remarkable impact daily. ALSO READ: World Bank: Improved internet, innovation could boost Rwanda’s service trade Eight awards were given in the categories of both BPO and ITO. The Service Excellence Award BPO and the Service Excellence Award ITO were taken by CCI Rwanda and Awesomity Lab, respectively. For individual awards, CCI Rwanda’s Patrick Hirwa Munyaneza and Grow Rwanda Advisors’ Emmanuel Hakoraimana scooped the BPO and ITO Outstanding Agent awards, respectively. Other awards include the Inclusivity Award and the Enabling Skilling Partner Award, which were received by TeKnowledge and The GYM, respectively. Finally, CCI Rwanda won the BPO company of the year award, while Teknowledge won the ITO Company of the year. A future built on collaboration and ambition From its current 4,000 employees to a projected exponential increase in the coming years, the GBS sector stands as one of Rwanda’s most promising engines for youth employment, investment attraction, and export growth. And with the success of the first GBS Awards, the emerging sector has sent a powerful message: Ready to lead, ready to innovate, and ready to compete on the world stage.
