Business Strategies for the Bottom of the Pyramid (Collection)

Prologue: Transformation in BoP Markets: Learning from Rwanda

What is Africa’s biggest success story?

Skeptics claim it is impossible to find a success story in Africa; even optimists struggle to answer the question. One might consider high-profile African leaders, like Nelson Mandela, for fathering a peaceful post-Apartheid South Africa. Observers might highlight a business achieving fast growth and record profits: Cell phone companies, social entrepreneurs tackling health or education, or fast-growing banks may emerge.

Yet many highlight the country of Rwanda and its leader President Paul Kagame, also referred to as Rwanda’s “entrepreneurial president” for his focus on private sector reforms and investment as the centerpiece of that nation’s ...