Bank of Kigali on June 20 hosted the Regional CEO Business Forum in Rusizi District, Western Province, a significant step towards reinforcing its marketing presence, stronger customer relationships, and loyalty.

This seasonal initiative aligns with the bank's broader strategy to enhance its foothold across various business segments, including retail, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), agribusiness, and corporate banking, while also promoting its latest "Nanjye ni BK" campaign aimed at expanding its customer base.

The forum was attended by local business leaders, stakeholders, and Bank of Kigali executives, who gathered to discuss the latest developments and initiatives within the bank. The event also served as a platform to increase awareness of BK’s diverse range of products and services, inform customers about the "Nanjye ni BK" campaign, and emphasise the bank&039;s commitment to providing affordable and inclusive banking services.

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Expanding horizons, strengthening ties

As part of the forum, the BK delegation visited several key clients' initiatives in Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts to demonstrate its commitment to maintaining strong customer relationships and loyalty.

One notable visit was to Kivu Choice Ltd, a fish farming company located in Nyamasheke District. Kivu Choice is a subsidiary of Victoria Farm, a prominent agricultural entity in Kenya. The company operates 450 fish farming cages authorised by the Rwandan government and is managed entirely by Kivu Choice. They are seeking a substantial facility valued at Rwf1,000,000,000 to target the entire value chain, signalling significant growth and investment opportunities.

Another important visit was to RUMEAT Ltd, a slaughter factory founded by local investors Jean Baptiste Mugambira and Isaac Niyonsaba. RUMEAT has approached BK for an ERF-2 Investment loan of Rwf645,122,320 to complete construction, provide working capital, and acquire refrigerated trucks. This facilitation, to be repaid over 10 years with a six-month moratorium on both interest and principal, was recently supplemented with an additional approved facility of Rwf461,000,000.

The Cyangugu Catholic Diocese, a well-regarded faith-based organisation, also plays a crucial role in the region's SME and agriculture sectors. BK aims to support the diocese's various projects, furthering its mission to innovate and expand within these vital sectors.

SOTRACOGE Ltd, a significant distributor of Bralirwa products and CIMERWA cement in both Rusizi and Nyamasheke districts, is another key client. Managed by Evariste Mushengezi and his team, SOTRACOGE has been a steadfast player in the local business landscape for over eleven years. The company also owns the CARREFOUR hotel in Rusizi, making it a valuable partner for BK to retain and support.

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Feedback, future directions

During the forum, customers were updated on recent developments, including the "Nanjye ni BK" campaign and BK&039;s diverse range of products tailored to meet the needs of various business segments.

The campaign is focused on ensuring that all BK banking services are accessible to Rwandans from diverse backgrounds, intending to establish BK as the bank of choice for everyone, offering easily accessible services at all times.

Particularly, "Kira Kibondo", a savings account for children with an annual interest rate of 8 per cent, has been launched and is now officially available. The initiative aims to teach children the importance of saving from an early age and to help parents secure their children's future. The saved money can be used for emergencies and other necessary expenses.

"Kataza na BK”, also part of 'Nanjye ni BK', provides loans to women without requiring collateral. BK encourages women to take advantage of interest-free loans. The programme aims at helping women develop by investing in various projects, including small and medium businesses. The loan can reach up to Rwf15 million per person.

To qualify, applicants must have an active company or a TIN of a patent holder that has been in use for at least a year, and they must show that there are no debts or tax arrears with the Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA).

There is also a programme allowing BK customers to use debit cards to borrow up to Rwf500,000 while waiting for their salary.

Additionally, BK plans to extend services to non-smartphone users in the short term. BK ensures that its services are technologically secure by continuously monitoring the security of customers' accounts.

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Diane Karusisi, the CEO of Bank of Kigali, emphasised that the secret for every business is to really be close to clients and be customer-centric and that&039;s what they do when they visit clients.

She noted: "When we visit clients, we have intimate discussions to truly understand their problems and needs. This helps us design the right products. We now have units dedicated to agribusiness, staffed by agronomists who understand this field. These experts can effectively communicate with our clients in the agribusiness sector."

She added: "We also have a team dedicated to SMEs. These individuals truly understand the needs of SMEs because they interact with them daily. This has enabled us to design many specialised products. We aim to be product specialists; by intimately understanding our clients' needs, we can create the right products for them. This approach has been quite successful."

Karusisi said that while all clients are equally important, their needs differ between rural and urban areas. Therefore, we aim to ensure our services are accessible everywhere, especially in underserved areas, highlighting the key role of the "Nanjye ni BK" campaign.

"We have branches here and hundreds of agents across the country. We've designed our digital experience to be very simple, whether using the BK app or graphics. You don't need a university education to transact with BK. We've made it easy for everyone to understand, and now people can pay taxes or school fees from anywhere without needing to visit the bank," she added