Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye is speaking with business and government leaders in South Australia this week, including Events SA executive director Hitaf Rasheed with whom he will explore opportunities connected with the state’s Tour Down Under international cycling event.

The African nation’s High Commissioner to Australia told InDaily that Rwanda now holds its own Tour du Rwanda in Africa that recently won international category ranking by the Union Cycliste Internationale.

“We are wanting to learn about how we develop it further and our tourism team will be on the call (with Rasheed) as well,” he said in relation to his first trip to South Australia.

Uwinganganye says the landlocked nation is drawing comparisons with Singapore, where he is based, as he promotes Rwanda as a hub for nations wanting to do business in Africa.

“People call us the Singapore of Africa – we don’t call ourselves that, we are Rwanda,” he said.

During four days in South Australia, the schedule includes talking to Human Services Minister Nat Cook about affordable housing in Adelaide – a great need also in Rwanda due to fast-paced urbanisation.

Rwanda High Commissioner in Australia Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye. Photo: Belinda Willis/ InDaily

He will also attend a business round table organised by KPMG and meet with SA-headquartered transport and travel group Kelsian. The company formerly known as SeaLink Travel Group operates ferries around the world including to Kangaroo Island.

Landlocked Rwanda is among the fastest growing economies in Africa and “has many beautiful lakes” it wanted to make more accessible to growing numbers of tourists.

Uwihanganye believes Kelsian could share potential opportunities.

Rwanda’s government is investing heavily in sports and tourism to build its economy alongside a rapidly growing population of 13 million.

Uwihanganye tells of a three-point plan to move the country forward that is focused on “unity, thinking big and being accountable”.

When the country became Arsenal Football Club’s official Tourism Partner and its first shirt sleeve partner about four years ago, the decision sparked international interest. Rwanda also has sponsorship deals with French football giant PSG and German club Bayern Munich.

The High Commissioner says the strategy meant “tourism revenue has doubled”.

Not all Rwandans approve of the strategy and newspaper columns abroad have raised concerns about the country’s President Paul Kagame “sportswashing” the country’s human rights record. Groups such as Human Rights Watch have accused the government of crushing political dissent and stifling free speech.

Some Opposition politicians also believe money being spent on sport partnerships and stadiums should be targeted elsewhere.

In response to the criticism, Uwinhanganye said Rwanda has developed its own democracy “according to the needs of our population, as well as our national history and culture”.

“This process of transformation has involved all Rwandans, and is a participative and inclusive approach with people-centred governance at its very heart,” he said.

“No country has a monopoly on democracy. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ system of governance which we must all abide by. Rwanda is proud to have built this unique system, and our track record of restoring safety, opportunity, and dignity to our population speaks for itself.”

That last point refers to one of the other challenges for Rwanda as it seeks to expand its international influence – questions of safety and political stability.

Many people the High Commissioner meets ask about the horrific genocide against the Tutsi during 1994 where more than one million members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were killed by armed Hutu militias over 100 days.

Uwinhanganye said the country had been rapidly transforming since these “most terrible atrocities” with a homegrown approach to reconciliation, including banning the ethnic labels that he says were imposed by the colonising Belgians.

The country is very young – 70 per cent of its population are now under the age of 30 years, meaning they have no memory of the divisions that fueled the bloodshed.

Uwinhanganye said Rwanda was now ranked highly as a safe place to travel and to do business.

“That is a remarkable turnaround,” he said.

As well as attracting more tourists, Uwinhanganye said the country hoped to use its strong service industry to turn Rwanda into a gateway country to Africa, with hopes of attracting international business headquarters.

“We know South Australian businesses are wanting to expand beyond this country and they can do business in Africa based in Rwanda,” he said.

The country is accessible via Qatar Airlines with direct flights from Doha.

Also on his Australian trip, the High Commissioner has met with resources and mining companies in Western Australia.

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