Brazil is sharpening its Africa strategy by anchoring its economic engagement in Rwanda, a move that reflects broader shifts in global trade and investor preference for stable, rules-based partners. The decision was underlined at the first-ever Rwanda–Brazil Business Forum in Kigali on Feb. 4, where officials signed new cooperation agreements and outlined plans to deepen ties.
“There is a reason for this. The Government of Brazil looked and decided that this is where we need to be,” Brazil’s ambassador to Rwanda, Irene Vida Gala, told attendees after the signing. The comment signals a deliberate pivot: rather than spreading efforts across multiple markets, Brasília is betting on Rwanda’s institutional credibility to support long-term investment.
Over the past three decades, Rwanda has positioned itself as a predictable business environment, with policy consistency and rapid decision-making that reduce uncertainty for foreign capital. That predictability is particularly important for Brazilian firms in capital-intensive sectors such as agribusiness, renewable energy and infrastructure.
Two memorandums of understanding signed during the forum link the Rwanda Development Board (RDB), ApexBrasil, and Rwanda’s Private Sector Federation (PSF). The agreements establish a framework for trade promotion, investment facilitation, business missions and joint initiatives in priority sectors.
RDB chief executive Jean-Guy Afrika described the partnership as being driven by mutual value rather than incentives alone. “This forum was organised to connect businesses, identify viable projects and create investment pathways that generate real value for both economies,” he said, adding that the goal is to translate dialogue into action.
Brazil’s trade and investment agency is also restructuring its Africa strategy by dividing the continent into four regions, with East Africa identified as a priority. ApexBrasil president Jorge Viana said Rwanda provides one of the most credible platforms for Brazilian companies seeking to expand into Africa, and the agency plans to base its office for East and Central Africa in Kigali.
Ambassador Vida Gala said Brazil is preparing a $50m agricultural investment expected to be signed by the end of the month and is also interested in pharmaceutical production and regulation. For Brazil, Rwanda is becoming less a peripheral partner and more a strategic anchor for its long-term engagement across the continent.
