In brief
Rwandan entrepreneur Grace Mbabazi is positioning her company, M&M Sozo Ltd, to showcase processed honey at the ninth China International Import Expo in Shanghai. The zero‑tariff policy for 53 African countries and preferential measures for exhibitors are central to her strategy. She believes the expo provides direct access to Chinese buyers and a chance to grow Rwanda’s honey industry abroad.
In a statement to Xinhua on Friday, Grace Mbabazi, founder and CEO of M&M Sozo Ltd, announced her intention to exhibit the company’s natural‑processed honey at the ninth China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, planned for 5‑10 November, as part of Rwanda’s push into the Chinese market.
Mbabazi highlighted China’s recent zero‑tariff policy for 53 African nations, which she says removes a major barrier for Rwandan exporters. The policy, coupled with the CIIE’s free exhibition booths, a “green channel” to expedite customs clearance, and other preferential arrangements, is described by the company as a significant cost‑saving mechanism that allows smaller producers to allocate resources to product development and marketing.
She recalled attending the CIIE in 2024, her first time on the Asian stage. The exposure, she noted, “provided a rare opportunity to introduce our products to an international audience, raise brand awareness, engage with potential customers, importers, and distributors, and gain a better understanding of the Chinese market.”
Kigali’s sweetest sector is supported by a nation with roughly 120,000 beekeepers spread across five major zones, including the Akagera National Park and the urban center of Kigali itself, according to 2022 data from the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board. Rwanda’s designation of honey as its priority product under the Food and Agriculture Organization’s One Country One Priority Product initiative further underscores the industry’s potential.
Mbabazi said the expo can help local businesses build commercial partnerships and introduce products such as honey to Chinese consumers.
“Our experience at the CIIE showed that the expo can help local businesses build commercial partnerships and introduce products such as honey to Chinese consumers,”she remarked, citing the event’s role in opening doors to the country’s vast consumer base.
Looking ahead, Mbabazi anticipates leveraging her growing network of Chinese buyers to expand M&M Sozo’s operations. She plans to scale up beekeeping production, enhance packaging that meets Chinese standards, and explore potential joint ventures with Chinese distributors. The company’s participation in the CIIE is viewed as a stepping stone toward long‑term market penetration and a core component of Rwanda’s broader strategy to integrate its agricultural exports into global supply chains.
