International express and logistics company, DHL Express has identified East Africa and particularly Rwanda as a key zone for growth within sub-Saharan Africa.

Charles Brewer, managing director of DHL Express sub-Saharan Africa said this after arriving in Kigali to meet with local government officials and the firm’s customers.

"For the past three years, the East African community has sustained high GDP growth, outpacing a number of sub-Saharan African countries,” he said.

He added that the International Monetary Fund’s recent economic growth forecast for Rwanda of 7.5 per cent this year reaffirmed their belief that the future is bright for Rwanda and the East African region as a whole.

"We are delighted at the speed at which Rwanda is working to actively improve its business climate and the ambition to become a regional hub for services,” he said.

Brewer will meet minister of commerce and industry Francois Kanimba together with officials from the Private Sector Federation.

"The discussions will focus on a number of issues including the need to grow small and medium enterprises as engines for growth in the region. We are working towards increasing connectivity for them by helping them to understand the paperwork, legislation and expertise needed to grow beyond Rwanda’s borders,” said Julie Mutoni, country manager for DHL Express Rwanda.

"There are hundreds of SMEs in Rwanda and we need to provide easy access and team of highly trained Certified International Specialists to lead them to the very obvious opportunities that trading with the world present,” she said.

Brewer will also look at ways of enhancing people development and employee engagement.

"Our people are at the very core of our business. The caliber of human talent available in Rwanda and across sub-Saharan Africa is extraordinary and we place great importance on continually developing employees’ talent and engagement levels,” said Brewer.

He added that if developed and managed correctly, it would result in employees offering exceptional service to clients.

Other activities scheduled during Brewer’s three day visit include visiting genocide widows and the Kigali genocide memorial center to stand in solidarity with Rwandans as they commemorate for the 20th time the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.