How a credit marketplace can unlock the potential in SMEs, with George Bakka from Patasente

Fresh produce delivery has traditionally been an informal industry in Rwanda. Reliably ordering food isn’t really a thing and so after finishing a contract at the Nike Foundation, Lauren Russell decided to set up GetIt as a way for businesses and consumers to have an easy way of ordering food. We go into how companies like GetIt are compensating for legacy infrastructure deficiencies, considerations in linking international brands to frontier markets, and how it’s now much easier for Rwandans to buy ingredients for a lasagne. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/14/food-delivery-the-logistics-of-delivering-produce-in-rwanda-via-whatsapp-with-lauren-russell-of-getit/

14 Syys 201640min

There’s a surprisingly interesting business to be had in little wooden sticks. Like much of the region, toothpicks are a staple at nearly every restaurant in Rwanda and this is a discussion about the industry operates. Olly Cassels gives us an overview of the market from his research into the timber production market, along with a lucrative business to be had in other areas of wood processing.READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/07/toothpicks-a-market-evaluation-of-the-toothpick-industry-in-east-africa-with-olly-cassels/

7 Syys 201621min

Off grid electricity is a big thing in Rwanda. The country is not going through the arduous process of establishing the grid, and then getting everybody to connect to it, and so for their energy a lot of Rwandan households are instead are going straight to source: the sun. BBOXX is an organisation providing  such a service at an affordable rate across the country. Justus (BBOXX’s Rwanda MD) and I discuss the evolution of the sector, adapting customer’s mindsets from ownership to service, and the outlook for “off grid” energy. READ MORE AT: https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/04/solar-power-systems-one-of-rwandas-leading-solar-panel-companies-with-justus-mucyo-of-bboxx/

4 Syys 201629min

Rwanda’s demography means entrepreneurship is strongly promoted as a means of providing private sector employment for a young population. Aphrodice is General Manager of kLab, Rwanda’s first entrepreneurial hub, and explains how his organisation is doing just that. kLab opened in 2012 and offers free WiFi, space, and mentorship to businesses starting up. It is a Public Private Partnership that is seeing its membership grow each month. READ MORE AT:https://theeastafricabusinesspodcast.com/2016/09/01/business-accelerators-rwandas-first-entrepreneurial-hub-with-aphrodice-mutangana-of-klab/

1 Syys 201622min