John Momban
TechInAfrica – It’s an odd feeling to come from California, one of the world’s most prodigious economies where the infrastructure and public systems are simultaneously falling apart in plain view, and arrive in the tiny, landlocked East African country of Rwanda. Unlike other African capital cities, it’s perfectly safe to walk around alone at night. Now the 12 million-person country is positioning itself as a Singaporean-like knowledge and technology hub of the African continent.
The first thing you notice is how exceptionally clean the streets of Kigali appear. That’s because of a ban on non-biodegradable plastic bags. Once a month, most Rwandans are required to participate in community service days called umuganda, when they clean public spaces. Unlike other African capital cities, it’s perfectly safe to walk around alone at night.
But more deeply, Rwanda is one of the most stunning — and fervently debated — turnarounds of the last two decades. Now the 12 million-person country is positioning itself as a Singaporean-like knowledge and technology hub of the African continent.
The thing is, it’s not unreasonable that this plan could work. The country is at the forefront of a broader story of economic growth across Sub-Saharan Africa, which has the potential to repeat the trajectory that pulled hundreds of millions of people out of poverty in both East Asia and Latin America.
The government has built at least 4,500 kilometers of fiber-optic cable to bring broadband access to Rwandans across the country and aims to produce 100 technology companies valued at more than $50 million by 2030 with a new $100 million venture fund.
