DP World has expanded the portfolio of Rwanda's imports and exports by opening the country's first fully fledged cold storage
DP World has expanded the portfolio of Rwanda’s imports and exports for fresh produce and various perishable goods through the opening of the country’s first fully fledged cold storage.
The Kigali Logistics Platform, which was inaugurated in October, serves as a key gateway to the heart of Africa through several road links, connecting Rwanda to neighbouring landlocked countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi and Uganda.
It also enjoys connectivity with the Port of Mombasa in Kenya and Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania, securing two key trade gateways to the sea.
The opening of the new facility is expected to pave the way for growth in Rwanda’s agricultural sector by benefiting farmers who have been expanding their produce beyond tea and coffee, to export a range of vegetables and fruits to the international market.
DP World said its cold supply chain provides end-to-end transport, reducing cost and delivery time, and helping Rwandan importers and exporters.
The opening of the 500 sq m cold storage is part of DP World Kigali’s objectives to enable smarter trade and reduce logistics costs in Rwanda, by attracting investment and offering companies new options for their stored imports and exports, it added in a statement.
The cold storage is also expected to support the growth of Rwanda’s hospitality sector with a number of five-star international hotel chains opening over the last six years.
It could be beneficial for pharmaceutical companies as it would increase their import capabilities.
Sumeet Bhardwaj, CEO of DP World Kigali said: “By providing cold supply chain solutions to meet the increased demand for moving fresh, perishable goods in Rwanda, DP World’s new facility will expand the operations of the Kigali Logistics Platform while enabling greater volumes of imports and exports across key sectors, such as FMCG, healthcare and hospitality.
“The cold storage represents a notable step towards forming a home-grown end-to-end-logistics eco-system, as we work closely with our Rwandan partners to build the foundations of a unique trade gateway for the Great Lakes region and east Africa that is compelling in scope and cost.”
To date, several local and multi-national companies have signed up to use the new cold storage and the DP World plans to expand capacity to 1000 sq m in 2021, to cater to larger volumes of cargo in the future, supporting Rwanda’s economy.
