Rwanda: Which Rwandan Digital Solutions Are Finding Markets Abroad

21 January 2026
The New Times (Kigali)
By Vincent Sugira

Rwanda is steadily carving out a place on the global digital map, with demand growing for homegrown systems developed to support governance, justice, and public finance.

Officials say exports of locally built digital solutions are set to rise further this year, helped by the introduction of a Digital Trust Seal designed to boost credibility and standardisation.

Patricia Uwase, the Chief Executive Officer of the Rwanda Cooperation Initiative (RCI), the government body that facilitates the sharing of Rwanda's development solutions said the country has already exported several digital systems, with stronger uptake expected in 2026, particularly from the private sector.

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According to Uwase, Rwanda's digital exports have largely been channelled through South-South cooperation, with systems already deployed or being implemented in a number of countries.

Jamaica

One of the most high-profile exports is Rwanda's Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS), which is being deployed in Jamaica under a $4.6 million (Rwf6.6 billion) agreement.

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The 37-month contract covers the design, development, implementation and long-term maintenance of the system, which is expected to modernise Jamaica's justice sector by improving case tracking, efficiency and access to judicial services.

Launched in Rwanda in 2016, IECMS allows court users to follow their cases digitally without physically visiting court registries, significantly improving access to justice.

Republic of Chad

Uwase said Rwanda has also supported Chad in rolling out key digital public finance systems, including the Integrated Financial Management System (IFMS), the Integrated Tax System (E-Tax), and the Electronic Billing Machine (EBM).

"These systems have significantly improved tax compliance and revenue collection in Chad," she said.

Guinea Conakry

In Guinea Conakry, Rwanda is supporting the implementation of Telemo, a national e-procurement platform inspired by Rwanda's Umucyo system.

Telemo is designed to improve transparency, reduce procurement delays, strengthen accountability and enhance the traceability of tender procedures in public procurement.

Umucyo, launched in Rwanda in 2016, automates the public procurement process and facilitates government-to-business (G2B) services. Telemo was officially launched on November 14, 2025, at the close of the Transform Africa Summit in Conakry, following development work that began in September 2023.

Eswatini

Eswatini is also adopting Rwanda's digital public finance framework through Umsebe, an Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS). The system is expected to strengthen budget controls, improve public expenditure management and enhance fiscal transparency.

Why this matters

Uwase said the growing list of digital exports reflects Rwanda's transition from being a consumer of imported technologies to a provider of tested, homegrown digital governance solutions.

"These developments position Rwanda as a single-window hub for development knowledge exchange in the Global South," she said.

She added that the Digital Trust Seal is playing a critical role by institutionalising quality standards and giving international partners confidence in the reliability of Rwandan digital products.

While the value of some contracts has not been disclosed, Uwase said digital exports are expected to grow further in 2026, driven by greater private sector involvement and rising demand for cost-effective, proven systems.

Where the private sector stands

The private sector is also beginning to make inroads abroad. Audace Niyonkuru, the Chief Executive Officer of Digital Umuganda, said the company's AI-powered data collection platform is already being used in projects in Benin, Congo Brazzaville, Ethiopia and The Gambia.

"The Digital Umuganda Data Collection Platform is used to create high-quality datasets needed to build language models," Niyonkuru said, noting that it includes quality assurance features to improve data reliability.

The company plans to deploy the platform in at least 15 African countries by 2026.

Meanwhile, Jonathan Sack, the founder of Faranga, a mobile money application that offers budgeting tools, real-time transaction tracking and enhanced security beyond traditional USSD systems said the platform is preparing to launch in Tanzania and Cameroon.

As adoption grows, Rwanda's digital footprint is expanding beyond its borders, signalling a broader shift toward exporting not just technology, but practical, locally tested solutions tailored to the needs of the Global South.

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