Kigali is one of the most attractive cities in Africa because of its security, investment opportunities, cleanliness, and unbureaucratic processes for opening a business, and the country's visa policy, according to international residents and travelers in Rwanda.
The Africa Report and Jeune Afrique ranked Kigali as the second most liveable and investable city in Africa in their report "Africa's Most Inviting, Liveable, and Investable Cities," published on November 29.
ALSO READ: Kigali ranked Africa's second most attractive city
The New Times spoke to foreign nationals in Kigali to hear about their experiences living the Rwandan capital.
Security
Ann Njoki Mbugua, a Kenyan university student in Rwanda, described Kigali as a peaceful and safe place compared to other cities she has traveled to.
"I can go out at odd hours and walk in the streets without looking over my shoulder every minute with a fear of being attacked or having a fear of pickpockets, as it is a culture and close to normal thing in other cities," Mbugua said.
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For Henry Osakwe, a Nigerian businessman in the IT field who flew from Europe to Africa two years ago, security in Kigali and the integrity of the Rwandan people were the most fascinating to him.
"One remarkable thing is that I can hand a package to a random motorbike rider and fully trust it will be delivered safely. It was surprising to me at first, this culture of trusting strangers with packages. But here, it is ingrained that no motorbike rider would ever take someone else's belongings," Osakwe said.
"Here, no one tries to play with your intelligence or scam you because they know you are a foreigner. That reflects the strong sense of trust among Rwandans."
Osakwe also said that Rwanda is welcoming of diverse nationalities, and he emphasized that this encourages people to want to visit the City of Kigali.
Alimamy Bangura from Sierra Leone runs a company that invests in education, employment, and poverty reduction. He said Rwanda has reliable internet and electricity, in addition to security.
"The security here is pretty good. I have never experienced first-hand theft or physical attack," Bangura said.
"If I was to recommend someone to come to Kigali, I would first tell them that the electricity is great, because where electricity is there is more improvements and investments in infrastructures. There is also access to the internet and access to basic life necessities. Finally, like an entrepreneur there are a lot of opportunities to grow a business.
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Investment
Osakwe also indicated that investing in Kigali is easier due to the government commitment to exempt new small and medium-sized enterprises from paying the trading license tax for their first two years of operation.
"The government made it easy for foreigners to invest in the country, especially with the tax incentives provided for startups. For the first two years, taxes are almost free," he said.
Osakwe said he was fascinated by how easy it was to gain information about registering and starting his IT business without bureaucracy. A business can be registered within one day.
"The registration processes were straightforward and quick," he added.
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Jeff-Nwankwo Nmesoma, a Nigerian female entrepreneur in tourism, hospitality, and communication, also said she started her businesses in Rwanda because Kigali provided a friendly business ecosystem for businesses.
"Many events in all different fields are now happening in Kigali. Many prominent figures are coming into the country day in and day out. These offer networking opportunities and business expansion," Nmesoma said.
For Bangura, opening a business in Rwanda is easier than most African countries.
"When I wanted to establish my business, it was really smooth. In terms of getting business documents, I think Rwanda stands out across other African countries," said the Sierra Leonean.
"I think that is a factor that makes Kigali stand out because getting documents and establishing a business is quite easy."
Cleanliness
Nmesoma said it is not cliche to say that Kigali is a clean city.
"Kigali's cleanliness isn't just a reputation. It's a reality," she said.
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"Compared to where I come from, the city's hygiene and organization are remarkable. Cleanliness here reflects the pride and collective discipline of its people."
Osakwe said that cleanliness attracted him to come to Rwanda.
"Seeing how clean the city was and how the people take care of their country, it looked so attractive to me because I had not seen any other African country that promoted cleanliness and hospitality during my research about African countries," he recalled.
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Visa openness
The country ranked first in visa openness in November, according to the Africa Visa Openness Index 2024. Citizens of African Union member countries - all African counties - are not required visas to enter and stay in Rwanda for up to 30 days. For citizens of the East African Community member states, they enjoy a visa-free stay of six months.
Osakwe calls Rwanda's visa process "very seamless."
"Visa was next to free, and getting a visa did not take long. The Rwandan government made it seamless, and I find this very attractive as it encourages people to visit or invest in the country eagerly," he said.
