As Kigali prepares to welcome professional golfers from across Africa for the Rwanda Open 2026, Mövenpick Kigali has joined the tournament as its Official Accommodation Partner, bringing the hospitality sector into one of the country’s latest international sporting events. The tournament will mark Rwanda’s first-ever Sunshine Tour event, adding an international dimension to the four-day competition scheduled for September 24–27 at Kigali Golf Resort & Villas. According to Sunshine Tour, South African-based professional golf circuit, the field will feature its professionals, Rwandan professionals, leading amateur players and golfers from the continent, in the ongoing drive to grow the game on the continent and provide a pathway for African golfers onto the HotelPlanner Tour, DP World Tour and ultimately the PGA TOUR (for golf tours in North America). It will also bring together officials, partners, golf enthusiasts and visitors from across the continent. The tournament carries a R2.5 million (approx. $153,000) prize fund, Sunshine Tour indicated. A hospitality welcome for the Rwanda Open participants The partnership between the Rwanda Golf Union and Mövenpick Kigali will see the hotel provide accommodation and hospitality services to players and members of the tournament community during the event. “We are delighted to be part of the Rwanda Open 2026 as the Official Accommodation Partner. The tournament brings an international sporting community to Kigali and provides an opportunity for us to welcome golfers, officials, partners and guests to the city,” said Mediatrice Umulisa, General Manager of Mövenpick Kigali. “We look forward to playing our part in supporting the event and providing a comfortable and memorable stay for those joining us.” The partnership comes as Rwanda expands its calendar of international sporting events, with the Rwanda Open also expected to provide greater exposure for the country’s golf sector. The Sunshine Tour has described the tournament as part of its broader effort to grow golf in Africa and create pathways for African golfers to compete at higher levels. Mövenpick’s role across sport, hospitality and tourism For the hospitality industry, events that attract players, officials, partners and visitors create demand for accommodation, dining, meeting facilities and other services. Mövenpick Kigali’s involvement places the hotel within that wider connection between sport, hospitality and tourism. Located in Kigali’s Kacyiru area, Mövenpick Kigali is a five-star urban resort with 124 rooms and suites. The hotel also offers meeting spaces, restaurants, bars, a heated pool and other leisure facilities, while its location puts it close to Kigali Golf Resort & Villas and key business and diplomatic destinations. The hotel says its involvement in the Rwanda Open forms part of its engagement with Kigali’s sporting, business and cultural events, as it seeks to serve visitors coming to the city for major gatherings. The Rwanda Open itself is expected to bring professional and amateur golfers together on home soil, giving local players and golf enthusiasts an opportunity to experience a Sunshine Tour competition. With Mövenpick Kigali providing accommodation and hospitality support, the partnership adds a hospitality component to a tournament that represents a new chapter for professional golf in Rwanda.
