By the time Yvette Uwimpaye welcomed her first child, she had already made a quiet but decisive choice: she would not wait for an opportunity to knock. She would build it herself. At home with a newborn, her world suddenly felt smaller and sharper. Everyday tasks many people take for granted, like going to the market, became complicated. In those moments of stillness, an idea began to form. “After giving birth, I realised how difficult it is for many people to go to the market,” she says. “Some are busy, some live far away, others are new residents or new mothers like me. I kept asking myself, why not create a solution online?” ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s new bill seeks to protect e-commerce buyers That simple question planted the seed for Murukali, a platform that would go on to change how Rwandans shop, sell and connect to markets at home and abroad. Ten years later, Uwimpaye leads one of Rwanda’s most recognisable e-commerce platforms. Murukali has onboarded more than 1,000 businesses, employs 15 people, and pioneered the country’s first online grocery store. But the path to that milestone was anything but easy. A life shaped by loss, driven by purpose Uwimpaye was born and raised in Rwanda, the second-born in her family. She lost both parents during the Genocide against the Tutsi, a tragedy that shaped her resilience early on. “Life taught me at a young age that nothing is guaranteed,” she says. “So when I build something, I don’t take it lightly.” ALSO READ: E-commerce businesses race to attract holiday shoppers Now a mother of three and married for about a decade, she admits balancing entrepreneurship and family life has been demanding. But it has also sharpened her sense of purpose. Her interest in business began in secondary school, sparked by a teacher’s remark that stayed with her. “He said that if you do something your parents once did, you already have a foundation. That made me think—maybe I also have something inside me I can build on.” She later studied economics at university, not yet knowing what business she would start, but certain she wanted to solve real problems. An idea born at home The concept for Murukali took shape shortly after she became a mother. Grocery shopping, once routine, suddenly felt exhausting. “You want to buy food, but you have to move around, sometimes without the energy,” she recalls. As she watched working professionals, new residents and other mothers struggle with the same challenges, the opportunity became clear. ALSO READ: Is Rwanda’s nascent e-commerce business now ready for take-off? “I thought, why not create a platform that allows people to shop from wherever they are?” Murukali was born from that idea, guided by a much bigger vision. “I wanted to give access to markets to everyone, anywhere. To build a digital bridge between producers and consumers, between local businesses and global buyers.” Starting with belief, not resources When Murukali launched, Rwanda’s e-commerce ecosystem was still finding its footing. Payment solutions were limited, and banks catered mainly to large companies. “They told us they had digital products, but not for start-ups like us,” she says. Uwimpaye also had no technical background. “I’m an economist. I don’t know how to code. I had to rely on others to build the platform.” ALSO READ: How can e-commerce scale beyond Kigali? Some partnerships worked. Many didn’t. Developers left, funds ran dry, timelines slipped. Skepticism came even from people close to her. “They asked me why I was stressing myself out when I already had a boutique,” she says. Still, she pushed on. “I told myself I would fight for four years. If it didn’t work, I would rethink. I even wrote it into my business plan.” Those four years were filled with uncertainty but also stubborn belief. Pioneering online grocery shopping Murukali began as an online grocery store, the first of its kind in Rwanda. “There was nothing like it at the time,” Uwimpaye says. ALSO READ: Inside Rwanda’s fast growing e-commerce industry Slowly, trust grew. Orders increased. Deliveries became routine. From groceries, Murukali expanded into a full marketplace, hosting products ranging from fashion and furniture to beauty and homeware. “We started with two people. Today we are 15, and more than 1,000 businesses sell through our platform.” But for Uwimpaye, Murukali is more than numbers. Giving small businesses a chance One story stands out. A woman making handmade kitenge bonnets had been rejected repeatedly in physical markets. “She was close to giving up,” Uwimpaye recalls. “We took her products, photographed them professionally, listed them online and promoted them.” Orders followed. Five years on, the business is thriving. “For me, that’s Murukali’s heart,” she says. “It’s not just about sales. It’s about giving people a chance.” Today, the platform serves both small vendors and established brands like Kinazi, while also connecting Rwandan products to customers in the diaspora. ALSO READ: E-commerce: Five new trends local players can leverage to spur industry “Someone in London can buy Rwandan products through Murukali. That’s the power of being digital.” Building trust where none existed Perhaps Murukali’s biggest challenge was trust. Many Rwandans were hesitant to buy online. “People worried about paying and not getting what they saw,” Uwimpaye says. Murukali responded with a bold move: allowing returns. “In physical markets, once you pay, that’s it. But we said, if you’re not satisfied, bring it back. It was a sacrifice, but trust mattered more.” A decade on, she believes that decision made the difference. A journey still unfolding Uwimpaye remembers when Murukali earned just Rwf15,000 a week. Then Rwf100,000. Then a million. “Step by step, we grew. I believe we are building something that can reach a billion.” Entrepreneurship, she says, changed her mindset. “You learn patience, empathy and clear communication. People must see that you care about impact, not just profit.” A message to young girls Her advice to young girls with business dreams is simple and firm. “You already have skills. Don’t wait to be perfect. Start.” She believes confidence comes through action, not preparation. “When you start, you learn. When you fail, you learn. Focus on your own journey and keep going.” For Uwimpaye, courage remains the most important ingredient. “Be brave. Believe in yourself even when no one else does. If I had listened to fear, Murukali would not exist today. I chose to try and that made all the difference.”
