Africa Considered Up and Coming Partner for St. Louis
Local delegation completes trip to Rwanda, new trade mission in the works
Africa, a continent where the population is expected to nearly double to 2.5 billion people by 2050, is home to a young and entrepreneurial workforce poised to increase prosperity not only in Africa but around the world. Because of this, St. Louis views Africa as a future vibrant trade partner and recently completed a fact-finding mission in January to Kigali, Rwanda. Representatives from World Trade Center St. Louis (WTC), BioSTL, St. Louis Integrated Health Network (IHN) and Nexus Group made the journey to Rwanda’s capital.
“Kigali has become a global symbol of resilience and innovation,” said Tim Nowak, executive director of WTC, the international division of St. Louis Economic Development Partnership (STL Partnership). “Strategically, Kigali provides a gateway for St. Louis companies to access one of the continent’s fastest growing economies, while establishing a hub for doing business throughout Africa.”
“Following the Tutsi genocide in 1994, the people of Rwanda govern from the perspective that community is what strengthens one’s resolve for unity and progress,” stated Andwele Jolly, president and CEO of IHN. “By embracing a reconciliation process centered on community, the country evolved into a global leader in urban sustainability, healthcare innovation and inclusive economic development.”
Kigali’s robust public-private partnerships in sectors, such as technology and infrastructure, could offer valuable lessons in St. Louis, while their innovation hubs and incubators offer collaborative platforms for engagement with St. Louis’ startup ecosystem.
“BioSTL has been the backbone of St. Louis’ bioscience ecosystem for many years, and for over a decade, we’ve been fostering global collaborations, but this was our first engagement in Africa,” said Donn Rubin, president and CEO of BioSTL. “Our visit to Rwanda was eye-opening, revealing cutting-edge innovations and exceptional deployment of technology. Rwanda serves as an excellent conduit to Africa’s burgeoning markets, and we’ve identified key partners to help St. Louis access the best innovations Africa has to offer, giving our region a competitive advantage.”
East Africa is predicted to be the fastest-growing economic region globally over the next two decades. According to a 2023 report from Euromonitor, East Africa is expected to deliver a Gross Domestic Product Compound Annual Growth Rate from 2022 through 2040 of 6.1 percent, outperforming the Southeast Asia and Latin American markets.
“Rwanda is a land of untapped opportunities where innovation meets potential, providing investors with a gateway to transformative growth in Africa,” stated Steven Balinda, strategic advisor to the CEO of the Rwanda Development Board. “It has become a beacon of entrepreneurial opportunity in East Africa, fostering a transparent, efficient, and investor-friendly ecosystem that consistently ranks among the top African nations for ease of doing business.”
Some St. Louis companies have already begun having a presence in Rwanda. Fresh Harvest 365, a hydroponic farming company that provides produce-deprived regions with sustainable produce, has already established itself in Rwanda.
Additionally, the Danforth Plant Science Center is currently working in Rwanda and recently announced an international public/private collaboration to develop high-yielding pest and disease-resistant cassava, maize and potatoes.
To further promote people-to-people connections, WTC and local leaders in the African diaspora have formed a St. Louis – Kigali Sister Cities exploratory committee to identify areas of cooperation and construct the framework of a long-term, mutually beneficial agreement. This will be the first new Sister City for St. Louis since 2017 and only the second such relationship on the continent of Africa.
“The U.S. Embassy in Kigali is proud to support the St. Louis-Kigali Sister Cities initiative,” said Ambassador Eric Kneedler, U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Rwanda. “It is a vital step toward establishing a lasting partnership between the two cities and their communities. Together, we are building bridges that will benefit both the United States and Rwanda for generations to come.”
Later in 2025, the group will organize and lead a delegation of St. Louis civic, business and community leaders on a larger trade mission to Kigali to execute the Sister City agreement, identify new economic opportunities and build a bridge for long-term engagement with Africa.
“Having completed my third visit from St. Louis to Rwanda, in just over the last 15 months, I am amazed at the recovery, resiliency and societal progress made by the people of Rwanda, since 1994,” said Rodney Boyd, partner at Nexus Group. “I look forward to continuing to develop economic, civic and philanthropic bridges between our two communities.”