The engagement, held on October 16, 2026, brought together small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly businesses operating in tourism, hospitality and related agricultural value chains.
Kataza targets women and young entrepreneurs aged 18 to 35, offering loans of up to Rwf25 million at an interest rate of 9%, compared with rates of between 17% and 19% for conventional loans, according to information shared during the event.
The facility is offered by I&M Bank Rwanda in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation and the Development Bank of Rwanda (BRD).
The bank also presented Kwihaza, a financing facility targeting tomato, onion and avocado farmers, fish farmers and fish feed traders.
Kwihaza provides loans of up to Rwf150 million without collateral at an interest rate of 8%. The facility is offered in partnership with Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR), an organisation that works to expand access to financial services.
The engagement also featured business management training organised by I&M Bank Rwanda in partnership with Le Village de la Femme, an organisation that supports women entrepreneurs.
The training focused on improving financial management and helping business owners adopt professional practices in running their enterprises.
Gertrude Majyambere, Strategic Partnerships Manager at I&M Bank Rwanda Plc, said many entrepreneurs struggle to access financing because they lack proper financial records and systems for managing their businesses.
“Although we can provide guidance and advice, we often find that entrepreneurs have many things they have not yet organised or put in order. These include failing to distinguish between their personal accounts and business accounts, as well as not knowing how much they have invested or how much profit they have made,” she said.
Majyambere said separating personal and business finances and keeping track of investments and profits were essential practices that could help entrepreneurs manage their businesses more effectively and improve their chances of accessing credit.
She said Muhanga was selected for the engagement because of the area’s growing business activity.
“Some people lack information and do not know that affordable loans are available. Others do not know that they can access loans without providing collateral. These engagements give us an opportunity to reach more customers while helping the district benefit from having more entrepreneurs,” she said.
Mukarugwiro Florida, an avocado trader in Muhanga, said access to capital had been a challenge for businesses like hers.
“Sometimes we need capital but do not know where to go to get a loan. When you apply, you may be asked to provide collateral that you do not have, or you may have to go through a lengthy process to obtain it. I&M Bank could make things easier for us because we were told that they would assess the businesses we operate without requiring collateral,” she said.
I&M Bank launched Kataza in April 2024, with a three-year target of supporting 500 small and medium-sized enterprises and helping them create more than 15,000 jobs.
Figures released by the National Bank of Rwanda in October 2026 show that banks extended more than Rwf7 trillion in loans during the first six months of the year, with agriculture accounting for 5% of the total.
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