[PHOTOS] Capital, jobs and growth: How Equity is backing Rwanda’s businesses

At a garment factory in Kigali, about 400 young people have jobs. At a coffee plant, Rwandan beans are processed into higher-value products and packaged for local and international markets, while an electric mobility company is rolling out thousands of motorcycles and battery-swapping services. Behind these businesses are different stories of ambition, but they share a common need: access to finance and banking services that can support their growth. That was the observation as a delegation of investors on Equity Group 2026 Rwanda Trade and Investor Roadshow visited four businesses in manufacturing, fashion, coffee and electric mobility on September 17. The visits to Landy Industries, Dikam Fashion, Rwanda Farmers Coffee Company, which produces the Gorilla’s Coffee brand, and motorcycle firm Ampersand gave 15 delegates from 10 nationalities a close look at businesses producing in Rwanda, creating jobs and serving regional and international markets. For Equity Bank Rwanda, the engagements demonstrated how financial services can support businesses through factory financing, working capital, foreign-currency transactions and new lending models. Mahvish Malik, Associate Director for Trade Relations at Equity Group, said the aim is to take investors beyond boardrooms and into businesses so they can see first-hand what doing business in a particular market looks like. “We feel a lot of them have had the opportunity to really understand what it’s like to do business in Rwanda,” she said. “They’ve had a lot of positive things to say about this market and this country.” Dikam Fashion: From 10 workers to 400 jobs Dikam Fashion started seven years ago with 10 workers operating from the founders’ home. It now employs about 400 people and has the capacity to produce more than 3,000 garments a day, according to Gilbert Kamanzi, Chairperson of Dikam Ltd. The company makes uniforms and workwear supplied to hospitals, schools and major government institutions. Kamanzi said Rwanda’s reliance on imported garments creates opportunities for local manufacturers. “We started with 10 workers, but now we are counting around 400 employees,” he said. The employment, he added, supports more than 2,000 people when workers’ families are taken into account. He said Equity financed the facility where the company operates, supported the expansion of its plots and provided financing for operational investment. “Equity Bank has really been of great importance in our project,” he said. “Dikam continues to have an ongoing facility with the bank.” RFCC: Turning Rwandan coffee beans into higher-value products At Rwanda Farmers Coffee Company (RFCC), the delegation saw locally grown green beans transformed into roasted and packaged coffee under the Gorilla’s Coffee brand. Established in 2014, the company was created to add value to Rwanda’s coffee rather than simply export green beans. Donal Murphy, RFCC Chief Executive Officer, said the company currently exports about 30 per cent of its production, while 70 per cent is sold on the domestic market. He wants to increase exports to international markets. “There’s certainly growing opportunity around value-added or roast packaged coffee,” he said, pointing to markets in Europe, the United States and the Middle East. Murphy said access to foreign currency is also important to the business, with Equity helping it access US dollars to pay international suppliers for materials such as packaging sourced from China. “Getting easy access to dollars to be able to pay those invoices is an important part of what we do,” he said. Manasseh Manirakiza, Head of Agriculture at Equity Bank Rwanda, said the bank finances farmers, agribusinesses, coffee washing stations and milling operators, covering different stages of the agricultural value chain. Ampersand: Financing the shift to electric motorcycles Ampersand assembles electric motorcycles in Rwanda and operates a network of battery-swapping stations. Riders can exchange a depleted battery for a fully charged one in about three minutes, avoiding the need to wait for charging. Emmanuel Hakizimana, Ampersand’s Country Director and co-founder, said the model is designed to lower operating costs for motorcycle taxi drivers while reducing dependence on petrol. He estimates riders can save around 50 per cent on energy costs compared with petrol. The company has more than 7,000 motorcycles in its pipeline and is already exporting from Rwanda, including motorcycles destined for Kenya. Hakizimana said Ampersand and Equity are developing a partnership under which the bank would finance motorcycle riders. About 90 per cent of Ampersand’s riders access loans, he said. “The proposed arrangement will allow riders to obtain financing from Equity to acquire motorcycles, while Ampersand provides the vehicles and battery-swapping services,” he said. Landy Industries: Producing footwear for regional markets Landy Industries has a minimum production capacity of about 150,000 pairs of footwear a day, making boots, slippers, sports shoes and women’s high heels. About 50 per cent of its production is exported outside Rwanda. Kevin Lio of Landy Industries said the company chose Rwanda despite its relatively small domestic market because of its strategic location and access to neighbouring markets, including Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi and DR Congo. He said raw materials are sourced from the Middle East, South Korea and China, while finished products can be distributed across regional markets. Lio said Equity has helped the company access US dollars and offers competitive foreign-exchange rates, which he described as important for exporters. For a manufacturer importing inputs and exporting part of its output, reliable access to foreign currency can be as important as production capacity. Malik said investors’ positive response to the roadshow has been driven partly by Rwanda’s business environment, its young population and the relatively straightforward process of registering companies.

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[PHOTOS] Capital, jobs and growth: How Equity is backing Rwanda’s businesses