The development of industries in Rwanda is heading into a new phase following the announcement that 32 local industries are set to receive quality certifications allowing 72 types of their products to enter the African market without barriers. This activity, scheduled for March 6, 2026, comes as a solution to the challenges of repetitive inspections that frequently delayed cross-border trade across the continent.
This was announced on March 3, 2026, during a three-day meeting of the African Organisation for Standardisation (ARSO) currently taking place in Kigali, where experts and officials from 16 countries are deliberating on the establishment of 25 harmonized standards regarding African-made textiles, clothing, and related materials. The primary goal is to prevent traders from undergoing repeated competitions and laboratory tests in every country they enter, which used to increase costs and the time products spent in transit.
The Director of the National Standards Division at the Rwanda Standards Board (RSB), Gatera Emmanuel, emphasizes that this step is a catalyst for smooth cooperation between Rwanda and other African countries. He stated: “It is a choice we made to harmonize quality standards […], and to reach a level where we can say, ‘If a garment was made here in Rwanda and tested here in Rwanda, when it reaches its destination country, there should be no further procedures carried out to check its quality, because that delays the person carrying it as it takes time’.”
This initiative comes at a time when data shows that intra-African trade remains very low, standing between 15% and 18%, compared to other continents like Asia and Europe where it exceeds 60%. This was also confirmed by Milagrosa Ntombikasiye, representing the Eswatini Standards Authority, who highlighted that countries like Eswatini used to export most of their produce to European Union (EU) countries because it was easier than trading between Eswatini and elsewhere in Africa. She stated that once these new standards being discussed in Rwanda are implemented, they will help African countries trade with each other and boost the continent’s development.
The Secretary General of ARSO, Dr. Hermogene Nsengimana, explained that using a single quality standard across the continent is the key to reducing trade costs. He stated: “The reason this meeting is important is that we have a plan for the African Continent to use one standard, so that we can reduce the money spent when people go to laboratories for inspections, which causes costs to increase when you use different standards.”
In addition to these 32 industries receiving certifications, which are predominantly in agriculture and value addition, it is expected that at the conclusion of this meeting, Rwanda will sign cooperation agreements with Zimbabwe and Congo Brazzaville to further facilitate trade between it and those countries.
