Patience Kamatamu, a young and dynamic entrepreneur, seeks to bridge the gap in the travel industry by providing services that cater to the needs of the underserved French-speaking community through her company, ToPix Travel Agency. As the founder and managing director, Kamatamu has leveraged her passion for travel and business acumen to create a venture that offers air ticketing and tour packages to customers. Her journey to success has been full of challenges, but with the help of the Women in Business Initiative, Kamatamu has been able to overcome some of the obstacles and is growing her business to new heights. Kamatamu’s Tobix Travel Agency operates at the Norrsken House, as a beneficiary of Norrsken’s Women in Business Initiative. The primary goal of the initiative is to create women role models in their ecosystem, who can build successful ventures and inspire more women to own and run successful businesses. ALSO READ: What Norrsken means to Rwandan start-ups Kamatamu says she founded the company in September 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Her work at the agency is in line with her background in tourism and business, having studied at the University of Tourism, Technology and Business Studies (UTB). She saw an opportunity to start her business during the pandemic, as she had the time and willingness to take a risk. ALSO READ: FEATURED: Norrsken launches Women in Business Initiative Kamatamu has a passion for business and takes pleasure in providing services that make people happy because good service brings her satisfaction. ToPix Travel Agency receives client inquiries through phone or email. However, they plan to establish an online platform that allows customers to book and interact with the company. Kamatamu says the agency has served more than 50 clients for air ticketing, and their connection with the Women in Business Initiative gives her hope for a brighter future. “They provided me with an opportunity, along with other individuals from Norrsken and beyond, and helped me establish more connections. Additionally, they have been providing us with valuable lessons on how to sustain and grow our business,” she notes. According to Kamatamu, the support and recognition she received through the initiative show that they see potential in her and this encourages her to keep striving. One of the main challenges she faces is securing enough capital to expand her business and connections, as the more she invests, the higher the potential revenue. Despite this obstacle, she is making use of grant opportunities and working with the resources available to her. Currently, ToPix Travel Agency has two female employees, and Kamatamu is committed to helping them grow alongside her business. She finds the business rewarding as it provides her with personal benefits as well. Looking to the future, Kamatamu notes that she intends to put more effort into offering tour packages and welcoming French-speaking tourists, providing them with exceptional service. As advice to other aspiring female entrepreneurs, Kamatamu encourages them to prepare themselves before starting a business, remain focused on their vision and goals, and be willing to take risks. She attributes her fearlessness in starting her business to growing up in a family of entrepreneurs. Women in Business Initiative is a joint initiative between the Embassy of Sweden in Rwanda and the Norrsken Foundation and aims to support and accelerate the growth of women-led tech-enabled ventures.
