• MTN wins best ICT sector exhibitor

Rwandatel on Monday emerged the best overall exhibitor in the recently ended Rwanda International Trade Fair (RITF) ending MTN’s two year monopoly on the number one slot.

Officials at the Private Sector Federation (PSF), the organisers of the exposition said that Rwandatel the country’s 2nd national telecom operation and the second biggest by market share, finished first ahead of MANUMETAL and SORWATHE.

"This was based on a decision by organisers and the public who voted through ballot box,” Said Emmanuel Hategeka, the CEO of PSF.

He explained that though the 12-day expo attracted a whooping 145,000 visitors, only 8,000 visitors participated in the voting system.

The visitors turn up, which was the highest in five years, represented an 18 percent increase.

Patrick Kariningufu, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Rwandatel said that the stand settings, innovation and customer care could have won them the gong.

"At Rwandatel, we handle clients with utmost care. We follow them up to ensure satisfaction,” he told the Business Times shortly after receiving the award amidst public cheers.

Khaled Makkawi, the CEO of MTN Rwanda who are platinum sponsors of the trade fair said, "It’s fair if another company wins the award.”

"We don’t want to look into that,” he explained when asked why the company lost the award.

Despite MTN Rwanda losing out the overall award to its competitor, the company beat Rwandatel in the ICT sector and best customer service category.

In the ICT sector, MTN beat Altech Stream while it emerged second in the customer service behind Enterprise Sina Gerard Nyirangarama but ahead of Rwandatell.

It was in the customer service category where local companies excelled most. Local companies beat foreign exhibitors to round up the top ten best customer service exhibitors.

This achievement was attributed to the two-day training on customer care service.

PSF in partnership with Rwanda Development Board (RDB) trained 150 local exhibitors and traders prior the expo.

Meanwhile, despite the low turn up of visitors at the expo, trade statistics indicate that about Rwf800 million ($1.4 million) was traded by 100 companies surveyed during the trade fair.

While a comprehensive trade statistics are expected later, 90 percent of visitors surveyed were satisfied with the product range while 77 percent were satisfied with across a number of attributes.

The survey conducted covered 302 respondents, 100 of which were exhibitors and 202 expo visitors.

This year’s expo attracted a record of 419 exhibitors where 119 were foreign companies.

Ends