Rwandan students came third in a stiff competition designed to boost e-commerce between China and the world. 

More than 100 teams enrolled in the competition. 

The Rwandan team comprised three students Alain Abraham Nsengiyumva, Abdul Karim Habimana and Serge Aime Sugira. 

Nsengiyumva and Habimana are China-based students while Sugira is enrolled at the African Leadership University - Kigali campus. All the three students are computer courses. 

As part of the competition, the Rwandans developed a web platform that will connect Chinese e-commerce experts with youth in Africa with a keen interest in setting up or scaling their businesses on the continent. 

The competition, which was launched on August 20, 2021, saw only 16 teams make it to the finals. 

"Our team was inspired by the lack of e-commerce skills,” Nsengiyumva said, adding that the platform will help avail the resources needed to upscale e-commerce across Africa. 

Nsengiyumva further pointed out that the platform will be a marketplace where e-commerce players can find tutors and content to boost their skills. 

The Rwandan team is now searching for investors to bring their winning project to life. 

The competition that is in its second edition is part of China’s Belt and Road initiative.