Kigali will host the 2027 East Africa Private Capital Association (EAPCA) Annual Private Capital Conference in September 2027, marking a significant milestone in Rwanda’s growing role within the region’s private-capital ecosystem. According to Christine Maina, CEO of EAPCA, “Kigali was selected because Rwanda has established itself as a credible and increasingly important investment and financial-services hub in East Africa.” She points to Rwanda’s strong institutional environment, ease of doing business and deliberate efforts to attract regional and international capital as factors that make it a natural host for the conference. Bringing the private-capital community to Kigali, she adds, recognises Rwanda’s growing role in connecting investors, fund managers, financial institutions and businesses, while showcasing the opportunities and incentives that the Government of Rwanda has facilitated through KIFC. The announcement follows sustained engagement between Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC) and EAPCA across three conference editions in 2023, 2025 and 2026. What began as an opportunity to introduce Rwanda’s financial-centre proposition to regional investors has evolved into a strategic partnership focused on strengthening market connections, facilitating investment opportunities and contributing to the development of East Africa’s private-capital industry. For Rwanda, hosting the conference provides an opportunity to move the conversation from visibility to direct market engagement, bringing regional and international investors, fund managers, family offices, development finance institutions and other private-capital stakeholders into Rwanda and connecting them with its financial and investment ecosystem. It marks a natural progression in KIFC’s EAPCA journey, from introducing Rwanda and building relationships, to contributing to industry dialogue and now bringing the regional private-capital community to Kigali, creating opportunities for investment, partnerships and the development of investment vehicles through KIFC. From visibility to market engagement KIFC’s participation in EAPCA has helped strengthen its visibility among regional financial firms and translate investor engagement into tangible market outcomes. Firms including Mpost, CPF Group, Tajiri Capital, Waanzilishi Capital Ltd and Watu Credit have established operations, investment vehicles or licensed entities in Rwanda, with CPF Group also securing an investment banking licence. Their presence adds depth to Kigali’s financial-services ecosystem, bringing additional expertise, capabilities and institutions that strengthen the market and expand the channels through which capital can be mobilised and deployed in Rwanda and the wider region. The experience demonstrates the longer-term value of sustained investor engagement. While conferences can open doors and generate interest, consistent follow-up and direct exposure to the market are what help translate that interest into business decisions. The establishment of financial-sector operations, investment vehicles and licensed entities in Rwanda provides tangible evidence of this impact. From EAPCA’s perspective, this evolution reflects the growing depth of the relationship with KIFC. According to Christine Maina, “The relationship has evolved from KIFC’s participation in EAVCA platforms to a broader strategic partnership focused on strengthening East Africa’s private-capital ecosystem.” She notes that KIFC has been instrumental in connecting EAPCA’s network to Rwanda’s investment community and financial institutions, while providing an important platform for informing investors about Rwanda’s opportunities and incentives, building market connections and promoting Rwanda as a destination for private capital. From participant to contributor KIFC’s role within EAPCA has also evolved from participation to contribution. As its visibility and credibility within the regional private-capital community have grown, so has its role in shaping conversations around the future of investment in East Africa. According to Jean-Marie Kananura, KIFC’s Chief Investment Officer, “Events like these are critical for deepening dialogue and unlocking capital for Africa’s growth.” In 2023, KIFC joined the panel “What Does the Future Hold for the Funds Industry?” In 2025, it co-curated “Fund Domiciliation in Focus: A Case Study Perspective” and contributed “Kigali’s Rise as Africa’s Premier Fund Domiciliation Hub” to the inaugural EAVCA East Africa Private Capital Policy Monitor. In 2026, KIFC co-curated a discussion on “The Rise of Regional Family Offices and Alternative Capital Pools – Unlocking Private Wealth for Regional Growth.” These platforms have strengthened KIFC’s position as a credible voice in regional private-capital discussions, enabling it to shape industry dialogue while advancing Rwanda’s financial-centre proposition. The platform has also provided KIFC Club members, including Apex, DTOS and BK Capital, with opportunities to contribute directly to regional industry discussions. This progression aligns with Rwanda’s wider financial-sector agenda. The Financial Sector Development Strategy 2025–2029 seeks to position Rwanda as an international financial hub through KIFC, while targeting an increase in the national savings rate from 12.4 per cent to 25.9 per cent of GDP by 2029. NST2 similarly targets an increase in private investment from $2.2 billion to $4.6 billion. KIFC’s engagement with platforms such as EAPCA is part of a broader effort to connect Rwanda’s financial infrastructure with the capital, expertise and institutions needed to support the next phase of economic transformation. The next chapter As Rwanda pursues its ambition to become an international financial hub and deepen the mobilisation of private capital, the focus is increasingly shifting from being known as an investment destination to being chosen as a preferred financial hub for capital deployment. This shift requires more than investor interest alone. As Jean-Marie Kananura, KIFC’s Chief Investment Officer, emphasises, unlocking greater volumes of private capital will depend on strengthening investment readiness, building the skills and institutional capacity of market participants, and developing investment vehicles that are responsive to African market realities. These are critical building blocks for creating a more investable ecosystem and enabling capital to move more efficiently across the region. This is where deeper collaboration between KIFC and EAPCA can add value. As Christine Maina highlights, “A key opportunity is bridging the knowledge and skills gap by upskilling existing talent across the region’s private-capital industry.” She points to targeted training, professional-development programmes, investment intelligence, investor missions and platforms that connect regional businesses and fund managers with local and international capital as areas for deeper collaboration. Together, these priorities point to the next phase of private-capital development in East Africa: building the talent, institutional capacity and market infrastructure needed to connect capital with investable opportunities at greater scale.
