The East African tech scene is increasingly being dominated by entrepreneurs and innovation from regional powerhouse Kenya. But in nearby Rwanda, the startup ecosystem is one that is growing in leaps and bounds with entrepreneurs emerging on a consistent basis.

As the Rwandan government works on improving its ICT infrastructure and private enterprises encourages small businesses to flourish, a young and dynamic software development company called TorQue Ltd is setting the pace for its peers.

Led by chief executive officer Jean Niyotwagira, TorQue is dedicated to creating solutions that will change lives in Rwanda and East Africa at large. The company is just over a year old and they have already achieved great success with a piece of software
called TorQue workspace.

“The TorQue workspace is an online inventory system that is tailor-made for distributors and wholesalers in Rwanda and is mainly focused on the beverage industry. We tailored it to this industry because it is the most complicated distribution channel we know of,” explains Niyotwagira.

The software is already being used by some of the biggest beverage distributors in Rwanda, including Bralirwa, and is also making inroads into the telecoms industry at its distribution level. Distributors for Airtel Rwanda and MTN have already implemented
the solution and, according to Niyotwagira, are very pleased with the result.

“We have only been selling the solution for the past six months and after testing and seeing it worked well with our first clients we really pushed it out there. So over the last three months we have had 15 organisations adopt it,” says Niyotwagira.

The successful adoption of the TorQue workspace solution is part of a growing trend that is seeing African companies using local solutions and local solutions providers. This speaks to the solution providers being able to better understand and address the
challenges facing the continent’s businesses.

Niyotwagira is only 26 years old but armed with a degree in computer engineering from the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) and determined to revolutionisethe entrepreneurship space in Rwanda.

“In my third year at KIST I co-founded my first company and worked with it for six months then later on when I realised I could also create this new business I had to concentrate on my new start-up,” says Niyotwagira.

TorQue Ltd is made up of three executives each playing a distinct and separate role in the company’s operations. One handles all things related to finances while also operating as a go-between between the sales and marketing people, the other looks after all the technical and maintenance related issues, while Niyotwagira oversees it all.

Rwanda’s techies and entrepreneurs have recently been boosted by the work being done at the innovation space known as kLab.

Niyotwagira is one of those young innovators who has benefitted from the connections made at the hub.

“When it comes to kLab you may say we are among the people who have really benefitted. I am the only member of kLab at my company because I am really interested in programming and there are a lot of great programmers at kLab. The biggest benefit from kLab was this connection, bringing together people who think alike, who like programming,” says Niyotwagira.

The young CEO adds that the exposure to a host of different people and the opportunities to meet with visiting techies and network with them has been invaluable to his development. “It’s also a free space where I can work from for as long as I need to and it’s also a very relaxing environment, the community is great.”

Niyotwagira believes that an incubator such as kLab is crucial for the development of budding entrepreneurs given its ability to bring together role players from across a fragmented market in Rwanda. He also believes that the encouragement that comes from working with people who have already succeeded is crucial to building confidence that goals are achievable.

When it comes to a growing move to innovation in Rwanda, Niyotwagira says that his contemporaries and peers are being encouraged to creating their own companies and futures.

“I think we have a great spirit that is really burning in the country and it is only a matter of time before a lot of young people realise entrepreneurship is the way,” enthuses Niyotwagira.

He admits though that building solutions and striking it on his own has not been all plain-sailing and he faces the typical challenges that come with a new industry.

“People attach value to the hardware and not the software. In my own experience clients prefer to hire people instead buying solutions. People don’t understand the value of the software. It is our job to develop very good sales people and very good marketing; given that the market is very small we have to invest a lot of capital in teaching customers with training and education,” explains Niyotwagira.

Going forward TorQue is working on upgrading the software on a regular basis in order to ensure that it remains simple yet powerful. At the same time the company wants to package the software into a total solution which will be used in every small and medium enterprise across Rwanda and the whole of East Africa.

TorQue Ltd and Jean Niyotwagira have lofty goals and aspirations which they are determined to achieve and at the same time act as an inspirational example to other entrepreneurs in Africa,

“The big thing is to dream really big. There is no design plan for entrepreneurship, make sure you work hard and focus on one goal and make sure you take all the required steps to get there. As long as you believe it can work then nobody can stand in your way,” concludes Niyotwagira.

By following his dreams and not giving up Niyotwagira has already accomplished much in a very short time. It is only a matter of time before his fellow Rwandan techies follow his example and make Rwanda a real player in the East African tech scene.