Profit-making idea: Refrigerated trucks in Rwanda


Rwanda has a shortage of commercial refrigerated vehicles, presenting a potential business opportunity for entrepreneurs.

So said Mark Sproston, CEO of food distribution company GET IT, in a recent interview with How we made it in Africa. GET IT is a Rwanda-based distributor of fruits, vegetables and dry goods to businesses and households. It sources its fresh produce from both its own farming operations as well as third-party smallholder farmers.

Getting the produce from the farms remains challenging, particularly for fragile fruits and vegetables, like lettuce and cherry tomatoes. “For these products, we send a refrigerated truck, which brings them to our processing facility in Kigali to be washed, sorted, cut and trimmed,” said Sproston.

“At one point there were only six refrigerated trucks available for commercial rental in Kigali. While there are more now, it is still not enough, and we often have to rent directly from private operators. I have been approached by various players in the region who are considering a business to address this shortage. I expect a large player on the ground very shortly,” he explained.