{"id":56106,"date":"2025-10-29T17:50:04","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T17:50:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/made-in-rwanda-velano-toothbrush-factory-opens-in-kigali\/"},"modified":"2025-10-30T10:37:47","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T10:37:47","slug":"made-in-rwanda-velano-toothbrush-factory-opens-in-kigali","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/made-in-rwanda-velano-toothbrush-factory-opens-in-kigali\/","title":{"rendered":"Made in Rwanda: Velano toothbrush factory opens in Kigali"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The factory, founded by Sudanese dentist Dr. Moustafa Hussein Abbas, is driven by a medical-first approach aimed at improving oral health standards. Operating under Next Day Company Ltd, it focuses on producing quality toothbrushes entirely within Rwanda. <\/p>\n<p>During a visit by IGIHE, Factory Manager Eng. Mohamed Elmudathir Abdelrahman revealed that Velano has a daily production capacity of 120,000 toothbrushes. Officials did not provide details on the factory\u2019s value.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cEvery Velano toothbrush is manufactured from scratch here in Rwanda, using local labour and expertise,\u201d said Eng. Abdelrahman. \u201cWe aim to set a new standard in medical-quality toothbrushes while keeping prices affordable for all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>According to the management, Velano manufactures every component locally from polypropylene (PP) plastic handles moulded using injection machines to the final packaging. Each toothbrush is tufted with bristles and undergoes quality inspection before distribution.<\/p>\n<p>The brand currently offers two packaging options for consumers: a strip line priced between Frw 300 and 400, and individual packaging costing between Frw 650 and 750.<\/p>\n<p>Both packaging options maintain the same medical-grade quality, drawing on Dr. Abbas\u2019s research and dental expertise, according to Eng. Abdelrahman.<\/p>\n<p>{{Empowering local workforce<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>The factory employs 35 staff, with plans to expand to 150 employees as production scales up. Women make up an impressive 89% of the current workforce.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, employees are receiving hands-on training in operating advanced manufacturing machinery, a contribution to Rwanda\u2019s broader skills development agenda.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIndustry is the future for Rwanda,\u201d Eng. Abdelrahman noted. \u201cBy building our factory from scratch with local talent, we are contributing to the economy, creating jobs, and supporting skills growth.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>{{Accessibility across the country<br \/>\n}}<\/p>\n<p>Velano toothbrushes are already available for bulk and direct purchase. The company is working with distributors to ensure its products reach households in every corner of Rwanda.<\/p>\n<p>The launch aligns with Rwanda\u2019s broader push to boost domestic production and develop competitive manufacturing sectors. It follows recent investments in oral-care production, including the opening of the Pro Smile Toothpaste Factory in November 2024 within the Kigali Special Economic Zone.<\/p>\n<p>The industry sector continued to play a central role in Rwanda\u2019s economy in the second quarter of 2025, contributing 21% of GDP and recording a 7% growth rate, equivalent to 1.5 percentage points of overall economic growth. <\/p>\n<p>The performance was driven by gains in mining, construction, and manufacturing, highlighting the country\u2019s ongoing industrialisation push. Within the sector, manufacturing expanded by 8%, supported by growth in food processing (10%), metal products, machinery and equipment (19%), chemicals, rubber and plastic products (24%), and non-metallic minerals, mainly cement (23%). <\/p>\n<p>The strong performance in chemicals, rubber, and plastic products is particularly noteworthy, as it directly reflects the emergence of local facilities like Velano. <\/p>\n<p>At the national level, Rwanda\u2019s economy grew by 7.8% in Q2 2025, supported by agriculture (8%) and services (9%), with key drivers including trade, transport, financial services, and ICT. GDP at current market prices was estimated at Frw 5,798 billion, up from Frw 4,966 billion in the same quarter of 2024.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96962 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_00_pm.jpg\" alt=\"The Velano Toothbrush Factory officially opened its doors early this month in Gahanga.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96959 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_00_pm_3_.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96958 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_00_pm_4_.jpg\" alt=\"The factory, founded by South Sudanese dentist Dr. Moustafa Hussein Abbas, is driven by a medical-first approach aimed at improving oral health standards.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96957 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_1_.jpg\" alt=\"The brand currently offers two packaging options for consumers: a strip line priced between Frw 300 and 400, and individual packaging costing between Frw 650 and 750.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96955 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_2_.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96954 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_3_.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96953 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_4_.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96951 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_03_pm_2_.jpg\" alt=\"According to Factory Manager Eng. Mohamed Elmudathir Abdelrahman, Villano has a daily production capacity of 120,000 toothbrushes.\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96949 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_04_pm_1_.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n<figure class=\"spip-document spip-document-96950 aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/jpg\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_04_pm.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Velano Toothbrush Factory officially opened its doors early this month in Gahanga, Kigali, providing a boost to Rwanda\u2019s growing manufacturing sector as the country pushes to reduce imports and drive job creation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000096963,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[75],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-56106","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-62","tag-homenews","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000096963,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_1_logo.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_1_logo.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_1_logo.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_1_logo.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_1_logo.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/whatsapp_image_2025-10-29_at_4.58_02_pm_1_logo.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56106","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56106"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56106\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000096963"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56106"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56106"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56106"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=56106"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=56106"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}