Collaborating to create an enabling
environment for e-commerce
This transformative initiative successfully developed Rwanda’s first inclusive e-commerce platform, RwandaMart, enabling SMEs to enter the online market with minimal costs.
In addition, a state-of-the-art fulfilment and e-commerce service centre was developed in collaboration with key public and private partners, streamlining logistics, payment services, and customer support for SMEs. This E-Commerce Centre, which is located at the Rwandan Post offices in Kigali, provides essential infrastructure that many SMEs lack, enabling them to quickly move their business online, promote their goods and services and create new sales in Rwanda and beyond. Through Infrastructure-as-a-Service, SMEs gain access to key resources such as warehousing, faster delivery solutions, and advanced digital tools for online sales.
The E-Commerce Centre features:
· A warehouse to store inventory at reduced costs with faster delivery capabilities.
· A trader lab for rapid prototyping and improved packaging.
· A digitisation studio for high-quality product imagery and online cataloguing.
· A training facility to equip SMEs with the skills needed for e-commerce success.
Complementing the E-Commerce Centre, the RwandaMart marketplace operates on simple, open-source technologies that can be locally maintained. Supporting both Business-to-Consumer (B2C) and Business-to-Business (B2B) transactions, the platform is designed for easy booking, service management, and subscription handling.
The marketplace is further empowered by a comprehensive legal, fiscal, and logistics framework. By leveraging local and foreign company registrations in the EU and US, the initiative simplifies export and import processes, opens access to global payment solutions, and provides SMEs the opportunity to list on international e-commerce platforms.
Additionally, the initiative has invested in rich media content to help SMEs drive traffic and sales with minimal upfront costs. High-quality visuals and media assets ensure that businesses stand out in the competitive online marketplace.