A DJ entertains shoppers at Gikondo Expo Grounds during the 26th Rwanda International Trade Fair last year.
The 27th Rwanda International Trade Fair (RITF 2024), organised annually by the Private Sector Federation (PSF), has officially started this Thursday, July 25, at Gikondo Expo Grounds, running for the next 21 days, bringing together 795 exhibitors from different countries across the globe.
Close to 500, 000 people are expected to attend the annual trade fair which begins today and ends on August 15 and will be attended by exhibitors from more than 20 countries. The number of exhibitors increased almost by double, jumping from 403 in 203 to 795 this year.
According to Walter Hunde Rubegesa, the PSF Spokesperson, this year’s expo is expected to be by far the most exciting for traders and attendees with more appetite to participate shown by Rwandans are foreign exhibitors, while in terms of business, this years edition will offer more variety and value for money for shoppers.
Speaking on KT Radio ahead of the opening, Hunde said that this year’s trade fair is just more than an exhibition but rather an opportunity for members of Rwanda’s private sector to showcase what they can do to the world and also get to see and learn from exhibitors from other countries.
“When we say it is an exposition, we are not just talking about selling and buying of goods or services, but it is also an opportunity to see where we have come from as the private sector and where we are today. The expo itself has grown into an international platform and this year we expect to see more. The excitement is already in the air,” Hunde said.
The expo will feature fun activities for children and adults.
Hunde called on Rwandans to come in their numbers to see not only Rwandans are manufacturing or doing, but also take advantage of the many goods and services offered by international exhibitors and at the same time bring their families and friends to enjoy different activities in the Expo.
Hunde pointed out that this year’s trade fair was oversubscribed, with more than 40 exhibitors still waiting for locations to set up their stands by press time. Of the 795 stands, 176 were allocated to foreign exhibitors and they were all taken, with countries like China having more than three exhibitors.
Other participating countries include Turkiye, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, UAE, Nigeria, Egypt, India, Pakistan, Zimbabwe, DR Congo, Mauritius and others.
The number of attendees is also set to increase from 300, 000 last year to between 400, 000 and 450, 000. Hunde pointed out that over the years, the Expo has grown over the years, moving from approximately 1,000 people attending daily when it started 27 years ago to more than 20,000 people daily on weekdays and 45,000 on weekends expected this year. It also moved from seven days to three weeks.
PSF eyes organising a longer expo, covering even one month in the coming years as the annual trade fair gains more popularity. To attend the expo, children and students pay Rwf500 at the entrance while adults pay Rwf1,000.
