Rwandans should no longer to make long journeys or spend exorbitantly on some of the home appliances that they use in their families on a daily basis.
This follows the entry in the Rwanda market of Almaha for Industry, a Qatari company that has set up a manufacturing plant which makes a variety of appliances at affordable prices.
Based in the mushrooming Bugesera Economic Zone in Bugesera district, the plant, whose construction started in 2018, has an aim of bringing close to Rwandans assorted appliances of good quality.
The factory started operations in May 2020 starting with production of refrigerators and cookers, becoming the first manufacturing company of its kind that makes appliances locally which are approved by Rwanda Standard Board (RSB).
"Our products are made in Rwanda and we are the only company in Rwanda that was certified to make these products,” said Desire Tuyisenge, the Operations Manager of Almaha for Industry.
Some Rwandans have different perceptions about locally made products but Tuyisenge said that it is now time to trust the quality that local manufacturers bring on the market because they are certified by an internationally-recognised standards body, RSB.
"We are proud to be supplying the products made in Rwanda and Rwandans should be proud of using locally made products, not only home appliances but also other products. Our refrigerators and cookers are top quality,” he said.
The factory currently far produces at least 20 fridges and 50 cookers with oven and 200 stoves per day and has the capacity to even double its current production as the demand increases.
A cooker manufactured by Almaha for Industry branded Florsa.
According to Tuyisenge, the fact that Almaha’s choice to invest in Rwanda came as a result of the country’s rapidly expanding economy backed by a strong policy framework that backs investors.
The company has a vision to operate chains of home appliances plants in Rwanda and neighboring countries, which he said will boast of the latest technology available on the global market.
In compliance with environmental standards and statutory requirements, Almaha products are environment friendly as all fridges use the internationally recommended R600a and R 290 gasses.
Fridges are environmental friendly using R600a and R290 gases.
Tuyisenge said that having been assessed, the company was certified with a protected Made in Rwanda logo as a proof that its products meet required quality standards. The quality mark is a strong marketing tool to fight falsification and counterfeiting of Almaha’s products.
Job creation
Almaha not only brought home appliance solutions to Rwandans but also contributed to Rwanda’s continued efforts to create jobs and reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.
So far, the company employs over 90 employees, of whom 95 per cent are Rwandans, which reflects the firm’s philosophy of skills transfer and according to Tuyisenge, more will be skilled as they continue to expand.
To achieve this, the company uses a strategy of developing local workforce skills and inculcating in them an innovative mindset and in turn rely on them in diversifying the range of manufactured products.
This is done by bringing in experts from abroad to train employees who then transfer the skills to their colleagues in the ecosystem.
Quality assurance
Almaha operates in accordance with Occupational Health and Safety Standards. The products have been accredited by RSB’s National Quality Testing Laboratories and Metrology laboratories right from the raw materials used.
"Our products are certified and we believe in quality. And it’s not just about home appliances, we, local manufacturers, need Rwandans to have trust in what we do. We believe the mindset will change as time goes by,” he said.
While the company started with refrigerators and cookers, Almaha plans to add manufacturing of detergents and liquid soaps, ceramic products, solar water heaters and other products needed to accelerate Rwanda’s socio-economic transformation journey.
Almaha’s refrigerators and cookers are found the company’s main stores on the ground floor of MIC Building in the Central Business District as well as in Rubavu tow, near the bus terminal.
Besides Rwanda, the company so far supplies its products to DR Congo and Tanzania and targets in the near future to expand its market reach to the wider East Africa Community by expanding their footprint to Kenya, Burundi, Uganda and South Sudan.