Rwanda is seeking to deepen economic ties with Germany’s State of Hesse as business leaders from both sides explore opportunities for investment and partnerships in some of East Africa’s fastest-growing sectors.
Discussions took place in Kigali during the Invest.
EastAfrica! Business and Investment Forum, which brought together Rwandan and German business leaders alongside government officials, including RDB CEO Jean-Guy Afrika and Manfred Pentz, Hesse’s Minister for Federal and European Affairs, International Affairs and Reduction of Bureaucracy.
The forum formed part of a wider German business mission to East Africa led by Pentz, with the delegation seeking to identify practical investment opportunities and establish partnerships with businesses in the region.
Recent reporting indicates that the Hesse delegation is particularly interested in sectors including pharmaceuticals and healthcare, digitalisation and artificial intelligence, critical raw materials and logistics.
Turning discussions into investment
The main aim of the Kigali forum was to connect German companies with Rwandan businesses and institutions, identify areas of mutual commercial interest and move potential partnerships towards concrete investments.
Discussions focused particularly on digital services, pharmaceuticals and agribusiness, sectors that offer opportunities for technology transfer, market expansion, job creation and stronger links between Rwanda and European businesses.
Addressing participants, RDB CEO Jean-Guy Afrika urged German companies to look beyond discussions and identify specific projects and partners that can be taken forward.
“We invite you to participate in a fast-growing market and build businesses whose success creates value for Europe and East Africa,” Afrika said.
He encouraged companies participating in the forum to leave with practical commitments that can lead to investment.
“I encourage every company here to identify one concrete opportunity, one credible partner and one practical next step. RDB is ready to move with you from discussion to decision, and from decision to implementation,” he said.
Afrika’s message underscored Rwanda’s effort to position itself not only as a destination for foreign capital but also as a platform from which companies can access wider East African markets.
Building Rwanda-Germany business links
The engagement also highlighted the potential for stronger private-sector cooperation between Rwanda and Germany at a time when East Africa is attracting growing attention from European investors.
The East African Community and Germany have maintained long-standing economic and development cooperation, with Germany having committed more than €580 million to cooperation with the EAC since 1999.
For Rwanda, partnerships with German companies offer opportunities to bring investment, expertise and technology into priority sectors while helping local businesses connect to international markets.
The forum therefore sought to bridge the gap between investment interest and implementation by encouraging direct business-to-business engagement and identifying projects capable of generating commercial returns as well as wider economic benefits.
The meeting comes as East African countries continue efforts to attract investment and strengthen the region’s position as an integrated market.
The East African Business Council describes its mission as promoting sustainable, private-sector-driven growth and a more integrated business environment across the region.
For Rwanda, the Kigali forum provided an opportunity to showcase the country’s investment potential while encouraging German businesses to establish concrete partnerships in areas with strong growth prospects.
The ultimate objective is to turn the growing interest between Rwanda and Hesse into actual investments, stronger businesses, technology transfer and jobs, while creating commercial links that benefit both East Africa and Europe.
