We are living in a world where technology has disrupted the way people interact and connect, how leaders speak to their counterparts and most importantly, how business is conducted. We would probably need a time machine to remember a period human beings depended solely on hunting for survival or back to the Stone Age period to recall the oldest recognizable tools that mankind first used. The advancement in technology has offered endless possibilities to human beings and led to a proliferation of wonders and initiatives that have driven economic and social growth. It is a fact that no one can deny. The internet, to start with, has revolutionised traditional brick-and-mortar businesses, and led to the rise of online business. You can now buy music online, and pay a subscription to watch a movie that was once accessed through a cinema hall or that you probably had to travel to buy a compact disk (CD) in a city centre for you to be able to watch it. The internet now allows you to pay membership to follow your favourite television show, but beyond that, consumers are able to access hundreds of products with just a snap of a finger. The fact that the Government, through Rwanda Development Board (RDB), has signed a partnership with Dubai-based DP World, it’s because it recognises the role that electronic commerce can create for a country that seeks to achieve a knowledge-based economy. The partnership between the two parties will see Rwandan producers use the firm’s newly launched e-commerce platform, Dubuy.com to get their products to the international market. The e-commerce platform by DP World is leveraging on their global presence and networks to improve Rwanda’s supply chain logistics as well as avail digital tools to help businesses become more efficient and expand their reach to local, regional, and global markets. With this deal, Rwanda will become DP World’s initial hub for expanding e-commerce across the East Africa Community and beyond. It is a commendable move, first, because e-commerce is naturally an advertisement platform for products, and so products from Rwanda will get more visibility in many markets than before. At the same time, exporters will be able to cash in on increased demand from the global online marketplace. However, for that to be realised, they will need to produce quality and learn the tactics of penetrating international markets. E-commerce presents key opportunities for Rwandan exporters on many fronts, but now local businesses must prove they are ready to compete on the global stage.
