While some may associate giving and gifting flowers with western culture, it has gradually been adapted to our own routines locally, and this festive season is no exception. Francois Rutaginirwa of Isimbi Flowers, a florist based in Kigali for the past three years, says that on a good day, he sells at least 10 to 15 bouquets. However, he adds that these numbers are seasonal, citing that they plummeted significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Rutaginirwa, sales from his business are fairly good, attributing the demand to popular events like birthdays, airport pickups, and wedding décor. This is despite issues like the current spike in inflation that continues to affect Rwandan businesses at large. “Flowers can’t be prioritised without the basics being taken care of,” he argues. With Rwanda’s continued integration of modern ideals, the demand for flowers has risen significantly, however, it still runs on a seasonal schedule. Gisele Nishimire of Avega Blossom and Beauty, speaks of the distinctive relevance of the floral industry and how dependent it is on the seasons. She points out that while the floral industry hasn’t reached its full potential in the country, Rwandans hold floral purchases in high esteem when it comes to celebrations. For instance, she says, flowers have become a go-to gift for birthdays, graduations, December festivities, Mother’s Day, Women’s Day, et cetera, and they are sold out when love is in the air around Valentine’s Day week. Who gives and who gets? People gift flowers for a number of reasons and some are not as obvious as you would think. For instance, “Gifting flowers to a loved one after they’ve given birth to wish them well can be uplifting,” says Alfred Ntaganda. Contrary to public perception, women have adapted to the culture of gifting flowers as well. They’ve made it routine to send flowers to friends, paired with their favourite choice of drink to celebrate their wins, and some even spontaneously deliver them to brighten one’s day, which according to Hygette Uwera, is a gesture that goes a long way. Different people also find it soothing to visit the graves of loved ones and bring their favourite flowers along. Husbands, for instance, have made it routine to pick up a bouquet for their wedding anniversaries, which tends to make their significant other feel special. A peek into the industry While the floral industry in Rwanda is still in development, export demand continues to grow, especially during the festive season, and that’s where Bright Harvest comes in. The locally-based floral enterprise has a standing order of 60,000 floral stems to be exported to the Netherlands weekly, constituting approximately 300,000 stems in December alone, which is undoubtedly an example of how far the culture of giving flowers has come. Floriculture was identified by the government as a sector that could quickly improve export revenue. The sector’s growth is, therefore, a boost to the country’s export industry as the government tries to find ways of reducing the trade deficit. A few flower consignments from Rwanda go to East Africa and some European countries including the UK and Germany, but a big portion of 92 per cent goes to The Netherlands. In the fiscal year 2020-2021, Rwanda’s horticulture exports—vegetables, fruits and Flowers—generated over 28.79 million, slightly higher than the $28.7 million that the agriculture sub-sector brought in in the previous fiscal year, according to data from NAEB. NAEB indicates that the country targets $130 million from horticulture exports by 2024.
