A delegation of senior executives and representatives of 15 top Swedish firms have completed a week-long mission to assess Rwanda’s business environment which could see them establish a presence in the country.

The delegation, made up of executives from diverse industries including manufacturing, energy, finance, law and media and communication, among others, was in the country to review the business climate and identify areas of interest.

The firms’ representatives who were in Rwanda for the first time said that they were looking at Rwanda as an entry point into the region which has been termed as the ‘‘next big thing.’’

Johan Hallsenius, a managing partner of Kreab, a communications firm, told The New Times that in recent years, a number of firms from Europe were seeking entry strategies in the Sub-Saharan market following numerous positive reviews.  

"The interests of the companies are wide.  Rwanda is a very interesting country from a business perspective. It is a hub of a very interesting region and is viable for business given its transformation capacity in recent years. We have always been doing business in Africa, but recently, there has been a lot of interest in Sub-Saharan Africa in particular,” he said.

He described Rwanda as an ideal starting point for firms seeking to establish presence in the regional market as it had most characteristics potential investors look out for while entering into a market.

Lars Arrehenius a member of the delegation, said at the moment, Rwanda was an ideal entry point for firms seeking a presence in the region.

"Having a starting point that has the potential to become a business hub is quite interesting. Most investors are interested in finding a market or starting place with rule of law, security and source of talent to draw from, good governance, ease of doing business, all which are present in Rwanda,” he said.

The investors met government officials in various agencies that included Rwanda Governance Board, Rwanda Development Board, and Parliament. They also had interactions with members of the private sector to get a feel of the business climate, such as Millicom Group, Ericsson, and Kivuwatt.

Hallsenius noted that there were numerous opportunities which would interest European businesses and called on the government to tap into existing networks to continue to spread the word and reputation about the country’s business climate.

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