Inside a modest workshop tucked away in Gikondo, a suburb of Kigali City, rows of sneakers, sandals, and polished leather shoes line the walls, forming a small museum of everyday life. The air carries a clean blend of detergent, polish, and warm steam from humming machines. This is Kigali Shoes Care Company, and at the heart of its quiet yet steady rhythm stands its founder, Etienne Niyodushima, a 28-year-old entrepreneur who is steadily and deliberately redefining what cleanliness and professional presentation mean in Kigali. ALSO READ: Youth investment facility: what’s in it for young entrepreneurs? Niyodushima runs one of the city’s most unexpected businesses; a dedicated shoe laundry that turns dusty, scuffed, worn-out footwear into pairs that look as if they have just come out of a box. Customers walk in with worn and dusty shoes and leave smiling, amazed at the remarkable transformation of their footwear. “It’s something I saw was needed,” he says, taking a brief pause between the whirring machines. “If we have laundries for clothes, then we also need laundries for shoes. People want to save time, and not everyone can clean shoes properly, especially with the pace of life today.” Finding direction in the unexpected Niyodushima’s journey into business is anything but linear. He first studied culinary arts, training to become a chef, a career path that promised structure, creativity, and steady work. But life, he says, had different plans. “Life sometimes shows you another direction,” he reflects. “You start somewhere, but along the way you discover that your interests and strengths are pulling you somewhere else.” For him, that “somewhere else” revealed itself slowly on the streets of Kigali. On rainy days, he watched people walk into offices with muddy shoes, their polished leather dulled by red dust and their sneakers already looking worn after just a few weeks of use. In a city where neatness and presentation carry weight, he realised this was an overlooked problem, and a business opportunity waiting for someone bold enough to jump in. “People care about how they look,” he says, “but not everyone has the time or the tools to clean shoes properly. That’s where we come in. We give people back their confidence.” Turning a thought into a business With limited savings but a sharp sense of opportunity, Niyodushima set up his first small workspace. He bought a few basic machines, experimented with detergents, and taught himself to understand the differences between leather, canvas, suede, rubber, synthetics, and the dozens of variations in between. Those early days were filled with trial, error, and a fair amount of doubt from others. “At first, some people laughed,” he recalls. “They wondered, ‘Who pays to wash shoes?’ But I believed in the idea, and once people saw the results, everything changed,” A few curious customers walked in, mainly office workers, students, and young professionals who wanted to look neat but lacked time. They came back. They brought friends. Word spread. Today, Kigali Shoes Care serves a wide mix of clients: residents, students, corporate workers, and an increasing number of tourists staying in apartments and hotels. Some shoes arrive caked in mud from rural commutes, others dusted with red earth from motorcycle or bicycle rides; some are white sneakers yellowed with age, while others are expensive leather pairs in need of careful restoration. “You’d be surprised how many people are walking around with shoes that just need a little care to look new again,” he says with a knowing smile. Inside the shoe laundry The process begins as soon as a customer walks through the door. Each pair of shoes is tagged with the owner’s details and recorded in the system to avoid mix-ups. The staff inspect the shoes, checking for stains, delicate materials, loose stitching, or faded patches. Only after that assessment does the actual cleaning begin, a blend of technology and meticulous handwork. The workshop buzzes with activity. Some pairs go into automatic machines for deep cleaning. Others are hand-scrubbed with brushes of varying textures. Some are steamed, especially delicate leather shoes that cannot touch water. Niyodushima has mastered the delicate balance. “Not every shoe needs water,” he explains. “Some need steam, some just need polishing, and some need full washing with special detergents. You have to know the difference.” After washing, the shoes go into controlled dryers that preserve colour, stitching, and structure. Instead of spending a whole day drying in the sun, a process that often damages shoes, drying now takes minutes or a few hours at most. The machines currently handle about forty pairs at once. Once dry, each pair undergoes finishing touches: polishing, whitening, stain correction, lace cleaning, and packaging. “When customers come back, they usually cannot believe it’s the same pair,” he says. “That reaction motivates us every single day.” Mastering the craft In the beginning, the learning curve was steep. “At first, we didn’t understand some shoe materials,” he says candidly. “We made mistakes. But we kept studying, testing, and learning from experience.” Today, his team can confidently clean everything from simple children’s shoes to high-end leather boots. They know when to use steam, when to polish, when to avoid water, and when to repair stitching before cleaning. Niyodushima’s commitment to craft is what sets his brand apart. “For us, it’s not just cleaning; it’s restoration,” he says. “Our goal is to give people confidence. When your shoes are clean, you walk differently. You feel prepared.” ALSO READ: Upholding service excellence through accountability and communication Speed, hygiene, and service Kigali Shoes Care is designed around one principle: time matters. A regular cleaning takes around two hours, which is much faster than traditional laundries. For urgent cases, express service delivers in even less time. This convenience has made the business popular among office workers and travellers. “We know how busy people are,” he says. “Someone might need their shoes cleaned between a morning meeting and an evening event. We make that possible.” But speed is not the only focus. Hygiene is given equal weight. Every pair is disinfected before cleaning, and again after drying. “People have different habits,” he says. “When you get your shoes back, they should be clean, fresh, and safe.” Affordable, everyday luxury Although Kigali Shoes Care presents itself professionally, Niyodushima insists that affordability remains central to the business model. Prices are structured based on shoe type and service level, ensuring accessibility across income levels. A standard deep cleaning is priced at Rwf2,500, children’s shoes at Rwf2,000, and premium services, especially for delicate or expensive shoes, which go for Rwf4,000. Whitening (“unyellowing”) services for sneakers like Air Force 1s also cost Rwf4,000. Express service is available for urgent requests. “We don’t want to make it a luxury,” he says. “We want everyone to enjoy clean shoes. Overcharging doesn’t make sense. We prefer serving more people at fair prices,” he says. Changing habits, one pair at a time More than building a business, Niyodushima is shaping a culture. In a city where many people are used to cleaning shoes at home, often hurriedly or using wrong products, he is introducing a new attitude toward shoe maintenance. He argues that shoe care is part of self-care. It reflects pride, professionalism, and Rwanda’s broader culture of cleanliness. ALSO READ: Kigali’s smart street-cleaning revolution driven by innovation and dignity “Shoes complete your look,” he says. “They speak before you do. When they are clean, you feel ready for anything.” Slowly, habits are shifting. People who once dismissed the idea of paying for shoe care are now regular customers. “They’ve seen the difference,” he says. “Their shoes last longer, look better, and feel more comfortable.” Innovation and expansion Demand is growing fast and so is the company’s vision. In the coming year, Niyodushima plans to open at least four additional branches in Gacuriro, Kimisagara, Kicukiro, and Kanombe. The goal is convenience, reducing the distance customers must travel. He is also upgrading the pickup-and-delivery system. “We want someone to call us from anywhere in Kigali and get a pickup within twenty minutes,” he says. “That’s the convenience we are working toward.” To meet increasing demand, he is preparing to invest in advanced drying machines that can handle up to one hundred pairs per cycle, which is more than double the current capacity. “The aim is to grow without compromising quality,” he says. Empowering youth through skills Beyond profit, Niyodushima sees Kigali Shoes Care as a platform for training and empowering young people. He plans to introduce workshops that teach shoe care, customer service, and small-business management. “There are so many young Rwandans with ideas but without direction,” he says. “Sometimes all they need is a chance to learn and practice. Starting doesn’t require massive capital. You need preparation, courage, and consistency.” To him, innovation does not mean inventing new industries. It means improving what already exists. “Opportunities are everywhere,” he says. “You just have to be open enough to see them.” ALSO READ: New study reveals 71% of Rwandan youth aspire to start businesses Polishing the future Back in the workshop, the air hums with the sound of scrubbing, soft laughter, and the steady rhythm of drying machines. Staff move efficiently through rows of shoes, restoring colour, brushing away dust, and carefully wrapping each pair in clear packaging. The atmosphere is focused yet light, a blend of precision and quiet camaraderie. At one station, Niyodushima picks up a pair of white sneakers freshly cleaned and restored. He examines them carefully before nodding in approval and handing them to a waiting customer. Her face brightens instantly. “I can’t believe it’s the same pair,” she exclaims. Moments like this, he says, are what drive him. “We’re not just cleaning shoes,” he says. “We’re restoring confidence.” As Kigali continues to grow, modernise, and shape its own identity as a clean, organised, and forward-looking city, businesses like Kigali Shoes Care are redefining what practical innovation looks like. They blend creativity, service, and necessity, in the process improving everyday life in subtle but meaningful ways. For Niyodushima, every pair of shoes that enters his workshop carries a story. Every restored shine reflects something deeper: the spirit of a young entrepreneur who keeps pushing, keeps learning, and refuses to stop walking toward a brighter future. “Shoes take us places,” he says, arranging another row of polished sneakers on the shelf. “They deserve proper care, just like the people who wear them.”
