The Missing Link

When DP World opened a dry port in Kigali in 2018, it helped transform landlocked Rwanda, creating a critical link in the supply chain, improving access to regional markets across East Africa and the Great Lakes region, while connecting Rwanda to global trade routes through ports such as Mombasa and Dar Es Salaam. 

The Kigali Logistics Platform provides a one-stop logistics solution incorporating transport, warehousing, cold storage, customs clearance, cross-border facilitation and payment services. Previously, limited infrastructure meant containers were empty and trucks idle because of a lack of warehousing and container space, costing money and souring client relationships.  

DP World has reduced turnaround times from 14 days to three days and introduced customs clearance in Kigali, reducing delays and bureaucracy. These improvements have delivered an estimated $50 million in cost savings.  

Rwanda’s emergence as a trade hub is central to DP World’s vision for Africa. The company has invested $3 billion since 2022 to strengthen trade infrastructure across the continent. 

Mohammed Akoojee, CEO and Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa at DP World, says, “Africa only represents about 3% of global trade, and it represents less than 15% of intra-Africa trade, which is low relative to the size of the continent. It's a massive landmass, home to a billion-plus people, and rich in resources and commodities. One of the biggest challenges is the efficiency and cost of the supply chain; it takes longer and costs more money to get a product into and out of Africa. That's one of the pain points DP World is looking to remove through our investments and our role in the supply chain.”

Improvements to the supply chain have benefited Rwandans seeking to export agricultural produce, in particular. Cold-chain facilities now enable farmers to export produce from chillies and French beans to avocados to international markets. In addition to employing more than 700 people directly, DP World is also supporting wider job creation across the supply chain.  

Cold-chain capabilities are also supporting broader economic development, from enabling pharmaceutical distribution to supporting emerging sectors such as biotech. The safe and efficient storage of perishable goods has even helped establish Kigali as a centre for hosting Pan-African events, encouraging the growth of the hospitality sector, as 5-star hotels open up in Kigali to cater to the tourism industry.  

Building on this success, DP World expanded in 2025, opening the Rubavu Logistics Hub on Rwanda’s western border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, one of Rwanda’s largest trading partners. The impact of the two facilities has been "transformational”,  according to Doreen Ntawebasa, Director General of Trade and Investment, Ministry of Trade and Industry of Rwanda.

She says, “Rwanda is no longer a destination market. It’s a regional supply-chain facilitator helping move goods faster, securely, and more efficiently to the East and Central Africa countries.”