The report shows that the financial sector attracted $299.1 million in 2024, a 27.2% increase. Industry received $267.1 million, construction $150.5 million, while agriculture, education and health together drew $107.7 million in foreign investment.
By country of origin, investors from Mauritius led with $251.1 million, followed by Kenya with $140.3 million, China with $108.6 million, the United States with $103.9 million, and Germany with $65.3 million.
Viewed by regional blocs, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) accounted for $418.6 million in investment inflows, followed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) with $340.6 million, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) with $293.4 million, Asia with $228.2 million, and the East African Community with $159.1 million.
Foreign loans to Rwandan businesses rose to $543.6 million, a 28.5% increase from $423 million the previous year. The report attributes the rise mainly to borrowing from affiliated companies abroad, which accounted for 60.8% of external loans, while 39.2% came from non-affiliated foreign entities.
More than 380 companies participated in the survey. Their combined turnover reached $3.9 billion in 2024, up from $3.6 billion in 2023.
Profitability and employment
The report indicates that in 2024, private companies with foreign ownership exceeding 10% recorded profits of $179.5 million, up 36.4% from $176.5 million in 2023. Reinvested earnings rose by 34.6% to $125.4 million, while dividends distributed to shareholders increased by 15.2% to $38.3 million.
Foreign investment generated 69,341 jobs in 2024, with 97.6% of positions held by Rwandans. In 2023, foreign investment-related employment stood at 59,916 jobs.
Ths photo shows the view of Kigali Special Economic Zone in Masoro.
The 12 resolutions, published on February 17, 2026, include measures to further improve the quality of education, with a particular focus on strengthening the teaching of languages, especially English, as well as improving public awareness of available government services and where to access them.
The 20th session of the National Dialogue Council was held in Kigali from February 5 to 6 and was chaired by President Paul Kagame.
The meeting brought together participants from across society, including government leaders, representatives of the private sector, members of the Rwandan diaspora, diplomats accredited to Rwanda, international organizations, development partners, and the media.
In his opening remarks, President Kagame emphasized the importance of implementing the Council’s resolutions, describing them as a cornerstone of national development and self-reliance. He also highlighted the responsibility of leaders to promote unity among Rwandans, strengthen self-reliance, and build public confidence.
The Head of State urged leaders to further improve performance and coordination, consistently place citizens at the center of service delivery, and remain accountable for their responsibilities.
Discussions during the 20th National Dialogue Council focused on key issues including the implementation of the National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), sustainable economic development, Rwanda’s position in the international arena, good governance, education, and employment.
Following these discussions, the following resolutions were adopted:
1. Strengthen project planning, monitoring, and accountability to ensure timely completion and achievement of objectives.
2. Continue professionalization of mining activities and prioritize processing and value addition.
3. Intensify efforts to increase agricultural and livestock productivity, including through expanded access to fertilizers, improved seeds, irrigation services and artificial insemination.
4. Provide targeted support to industries to boost production and competitiveness, improve value addition, and address packaging challenges.
5. Resolve outstanding issues in One Stop Centres by streamlining processes and procedures, to ensure adequate public awareness of the existence of these services.
6. Accelerate the integration of SACCOs at district and national levels.
7. Advance education quality to align with labor market needs, nurture talents, and significantly strengthen language instruction, particularly in English.
8. Promote youth recreational activities, talent promotion and skills development for productive and decent jobs.
9. Support Rwandan content creators and creatives to effectively monetize digital platforms and online content.
10. Improve planning and implementation of performance contracts (Imihigo) to better respond to citizens’ concerns, enhance service delivery, and raise overall performance.
11. Reinforce citizen engagement for behaviour change to enable communities to be more active in addressing social welfare and development challenges.
12. Strengthen campaigns and educational measures against teenage pregnancies, school dropout, alcohol and drug abuse.
The 20th session of the National Dialogue Council, held in Kigali from February 5 to 6, was chaired by President Paul Kagame.
Four people were killed on the first vessel in the eastern Pacific, four on the second vessel in the eastern Pacific, and three on the third vessel in the Caribbean, the command said on X.
“Intelligence confirmed the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations,” the command claimed.
It added that no U.S. military forces were harmed.
The U.S. administration has not provided evidence supporting its allegations about the boats, cargo or the people killed.
Since early September, the U.S. forces have launched about 40 known strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean and the eastern Pacific, killing more than 130 people.
The Pentagon resumed strikes on boats in late January following a Jan. 3 U.S. military raid in which Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were forcibly seized.
Speaking on Africa TV YouTube channel, Sindimwo suggested that those pressuring Rwanda to lift security measures along its border may have ulterior motives.
“If you come and tell me to lift my country’s defensive measures, what do you want? You want to attack me,” he said. “As for the Washington agreement, I don’t see anything meaningful in it given the ongoing tensions in the DRC.”
The government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has called on countries including the United States to impose sanctions on Rwanda, accusing it of violating a peace agreement signed in Washington on December 4, 2025.
Sindimwo argued that sanctions would have little real impact on a country, noting that Burundi itself faced sanctions in 2016 yet continued to function. In his view, such measures mainly serve to intimidate.
“There are things that make me laugh,” he said. “They impose sanctions on you, so what happens? Were we not sanctioned? Did we stop existing? That is intimidation.”
At the National Dialogue Council held on February 5, 2026, President Paul Kagame explained that Rwanda deployed defensive measures along its border to prevent attacks by the FDLR terrorist group operating in eastern DRC.
President Kagame stressed that Rwanda will not accept any situation that undermines its security.
Sindimwo expressed support for Kagame’s decision to safeguard Rwanda’s security, saying no form of intimidation should prevent a leader from protecting their country and its citizens.
Gaston Sindimwo served as the Vice President of Burundi from 2015 to 2020.
The funding appeal, launched under the Regional Migrant Response Plan for the Horn of Africa to Yemen and Southern Africa, was unveiled in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital.
IOM Director General Amy Pope stressed in a video message that sustainable financing is key to tackling the migration crisis in the Greater Horn of Africa and southern Africa regions, fueled by climate change, instability, and poverty.
Pope said the migrant response plan aims to protect the rights, dignity, safety, and livelihoods of migrants and host communities in a region grappling with sporadic conflicts, climate shocks, and high youth unemployment.
Adequate funding is required to provide humanitarian support to these migrants and their host communities, and to enhance stability, resilience, and inclusive growth across the region, Pope said.
“This support is not just humanitarian; it is an investment. We must turn this migrant response plan into protection, solutions, and hope for the people who depend on us,” Pope added.
Migrants traveling from the Horn of Africa to the Southern Africa region, including women, children, and youth, face significant risks of violence, trafficking, abduction, torture, dehydration, and forced labor, according to IOM.
IOM Chief of Staff Mohammed Abdiker noted that both regions have become global hotspots for risky and irregular migration, adding that the new funding will support livelihood projects for migrants, as well as their return and reintegration into their countries of origin.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday launched a 91 million U.S. dollar funding appeal to support about 1.2 million migrants and host communities in the Greater Horn of Africa and southern Africa regions.
So far, the country has experienced sporadic and isolated outbreaks of water-borne diseases typically associated with the rainy season, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister Zhemu Soda said during a post-cabinet media briefing.
He said that although no major outbreaks have been officially declared, risks remain elevated due to current wet conditions, population movements, and increased strain on water and sanitation infrastructure.
“In response, the government of Zimbabwe has intensified its preparedness efforts by conducting comprehensive risk and hazard mapping, enhancing alertness among response agencies, and expanding public health communication initiatives,” Soda said.
He said the measures aim to prevent isolated cases from developing into large-scale outbreaks, and to reduce undue pressure on the healthcare system.
Additionally, the Zimbabwean cabinet on Tuesday approved a contingency fund to support the country’s preparedness and early response activities for seasonal disease outbreaks, Soda said, adding that a multi-sectoral approach involving relevant ministries and agencies responsible for water and sanitation, local government, transportation, education, environment, and social services will be strengthened.
Zimbabwe’s rainfall season typically runs from October to March, with the wet conditions heightening the risk of water-borne disease outbreaks.
Women and children fetch water in the township of Luveve in Bulawayo. Photograph: Aaron Ufumeli/EPA
Jackson marched alongside Martin Luther King Jr. and led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after the latter’s assassination.
“He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family,” the statement posted on Instagram said.
“His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless — from his presidential campaign in the 1980s to mobilizing millions to register to vote — leaving an indelible mark on history,” the statement said.
In 2017, Jackson revealed that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which affects the nervous system and slowly restricts movement and daily activities.
Jackson had built a very strong political influence both inside the United States and abroad, and he spent his life dedicated to pursuing civil rights for disenfranchised groups.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the statement said.
Jesse Jackson, the famed U.S. civil rights leader, has died at the age of 84.
The originally approved budget stood at Rwf 7,032.5 billion. The proposed adjustment trims Rwf 80.4 billion, primarily through more favorable financing terms for major initiatives like the New Kigali International Airport and a rescheduled RwandAir loan repayment, bringing the revised total to Rwf 6,952.1 billion.
Revenue collection from July to September 2025 reached Rwf 1,156.6 billion, closely aligning with the targeted Rwf 1,157.2 billion.
Presenting the progress update, Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Yusuf Murangwa highlighted advances across agriculture, infrastructure, energy, health, and social protection.
Agricultural production support featured prominently during the first quarter of the fiscal year. Farmers received 4,162 tonnes of improved seeds, including maize, wheat, and soybean, along with 50,452 tonnes of mineral fertilizer.
Climate resilience efforts are expanding through irrigation development, with Mahama I and II agricultural zones in Kirehe District now 75% complete. Crop and livestock insurance coverage also broadened, protecting 14,783 hectares of farmland, more than 16,000 cattle, and over 96,000 small livestock.
Industrial supply chains performed above expectations, with processing plants receiving more raw materials than initially projected. Export revenues remained strong, generating $104.6 million from coffee, $49.5 million from tea, $3.1 million from flowers, and $53.2 million from fruits and vegetables.
Transport infrastructure works continue to reshape connectivity across the country. Construction of 184.8 kilometers of tarmac roads is progressing steadily, including major corridors linking eastern and northern regions. Rehabilitation of feeder roads is also advancing, particularly in Rutsiro District and Karongi District, improving access between production areas and markets.
Energy access has expanded through grid extension, solar installations, and network upgrades. More than 34,000 households have been connected to the national electricity grid, while over 8,000 households now use solar power and dozens of public institutions have been electrified. Construction of the Nyabarongo II Hydropower Plant, expected to generate 43.5 megawatts, has reached 60% completion.
Water supply projects are advancing in multiple districts. Pipeline construction is underway in Nyamagabe District and Gisagara District, while rehabilitation of water networks across 13 districts is nearing completion under programs aimed at improving nutrition and public health outcomes.
Urban development initiatives are expanding housing and basic infrastructure. Servicing works are underway for more than 500 housing units in Gasabo District, while development of the planned Nyabisindu model settlement is progressing as part of broader efforts to promote organized urban growth.
Education and health investments remain central to the budget’s implementation. Thousands of teachers have been recruited, and new teacher training colleges are approaching completion.
Technology-focused education infrastructure continues to expand, while the modernization of Masaka University Teaching Hospital is nearing completion.
Digital health systems are now operational in hundreds of health centers, strengthening patient record management and continuity of care. At the same time, thousands of patients diagnosed with non-communicable diseases have begun receiving structured follow-up treatment.
Social protection programs have provided employment and direct support to vulnerable households. Public works initiatives created jobs for tens of thousands of people, while nutrition programs supplied milk and fortified foods to young children, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers.
Environmental management efforts are also advancing. Restoration of major wetlands in Kigali has reached 78%, and tens of thousands of fuel-efficient cookstoves have been distributed to reduce reliance on firewood.
In the justice sector, community mediation committees and legal aid services resolved the vast majority of cases received, while authorities reported the recovery of approximately Rwf 300 million in misappropriated public funds.
Minister of Finance and Economic Planning Yusuf Murangwa highlighted advances across agriculture, infrastructure, energy, health, and social protection in the 2025/2026 fiscal year.
Bahati Musanga Erasto, the AFC/M23-appointed governor of North Kivu Province, made the announcement on Monday during a visit to Kitshanga trading center in Masisi Territory.
According to Bahati, the government in Kinshasa cut off telecommunications services in areas controlled by the group, a decision he said has negatively affected civilians. He stated that AFC/M23 is working on measures to ensure communication services are restored and cannot be disrupted again.
“The Kinshasa government is the one that shut down the network,” he said. “We are working to ensure that the network will no longer be shut down. We are in the process of introducing another network provider that will be under our control. It will reach Goma, Kitshanga and all other areas. No one will be able to interfere with these towers again in a way that disrupts connectivity.”
He added that currently only residents in the cities of Goma and Bukavu are able to access mobile phone services, while people in other areas remain without reliable telecommunications access.
It remains unclear whether AFC/M23 intends to launch a newly created telecommunications company or partner with an existing operator active in other countries.
The urgent call came at the 9th Africa Business Forum 2026, the continent’s flagship business gathering, which opened Monday at the UN Conference Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, under the theme “Financing the Future of Africa: Jobs, Innovation and Creative Capital.”
The two-day forum, convened annually by the UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in collaboration with the African Union (AU) and other partners, is a premier platform for high-level engagement among African heads of state, private sector leaders, and investors.
This year’s forum centered on fostering partnerships and leveraging blended finance to advance Africa’s youth economy.
Addressing the forum, Ethiopian President Taye Atske Selassie emphasized the crucial importance of harnessing the potential of Africa’s youth. Noting that the AU’s 50-year continental development blueprint, Agenda 2063, designates the youth as the primary drivers of Africa’s renaissance, he said with over 70 percent of the continent’s population under the age of 30, Africa is yet to exploit its “immense” demographic potential.
“During this decade, 362 million youngsters entered the working age population. However, our current job market can only provide jobs to 161 million people,” Atske Selassie said. “This demographic reality can become Africa’s greatest strength if we succeed in turning our youth into productive capital and our innovation into scalable enterprises.”
Experts and policymakers at the forum stressed that while global capital has become more selective, Africa’s demographic and market fundamentals make it an “irresistible frontier.” They highlighted the need to address the existing gap between available funds and viable projects.
Emphasizing that transformation is already underway in multiple sectors across Africa, with the continent beginning to export value, not just commodities, UNECA Executive Secretary Claver Gatete said that despite these successes, the pace of transformation remains below potential.
“Africa faces a huge infrastructure financing gap and further loses billions annually to illicit financial flows. Even so, the continent holds over 1.1 trillion U.S. dollars of domestic institutional capital in pension funds, insurance pools, and sovereign assets. The paradox, therefore, is not a lack of capital, but the lack of mechanisms that connect capital to bankable projects,” he said.
Gatete proposed four strategic measures for collective action. These include scaling up domestic capital and deploying innovative financing instruments, stronger credit ratings and more credible African capital markets, full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, and investing decisively in innovation, skills, and data systems.
This photo taken on Feb. 16, 2026 shows a scene of the 9th Africa Business Forum 2026 at the UN Conference Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
