In brief
Grace Mbabazi, founder of Kigali‑based M&M Sozo Ltd, is using the China International Import Expo to introduce Rwandan honey to Chinese buyers. The company benefits from China’s zero‑tariff policy for 53 African nations and free exhibition booths that reduce marketing costs. The expo offers a platform to build commercial partnerships and expand Rwanda’s honey industry onto a new market.
KIGALI, Oct. 30 – Rwandan entrepreneur Grace Mbabazi, who has spent years producing and selling honey in her homeland, is setting her sights on a market once considered beyond reach: China.
Founded and headquartered in Kigali’s Kicukiro District, M&M Sozo Ltd. has grown from a local producer into one of Rwanda’s most recognized honey brands. Mbabazi, the company’s chief executive officer, has harnessed Rwanda’s robust beekeeping sector, which the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board estimates to include roughly 120,000 beekeepers spread across five major zones, including Akagera National Park and the capital city.
Sweet prospects in Shanghai
Rwanda has long participated in the China International Import Expo since the event’s inception in 2018, with honey among the country’s highlighted products. The upcoming ninth edition, scheduled for Nov. 5-10 in Shanghai, gives M&M Sozo a chance to showcase its natural‑processed honey to the world.
The CIIE has been praised by Mbabazi for offering “direct access to Chinese buyers, importers, distributors and business partners.” She added that the expo’s “free exhibition booths” and the “green channel” arrangements for products exported to China have helped reduce marketing and participation costs, allowing her to reallocate resources toward product development, packaging and promotion.
Our experience at the CIIE showed that the expo can help local businesses build commercial partnerships and introduce products such as honey to Chinese consumers.
Mbabazi highlighted China’s zero‑tariff policy for 53 African countries, a preferential measure that positions Rwanda favorably. The policy not only lowers export costs but also encourages Chinese importers to seek quality African products, potentially driving a surge in demand for Rwanda’s honey. By having honey designated as Rwanda’s priority product under the Food and Agriculture Organization’s One Country One Priority Product initiative, the company gains further institutional backing.
Looking ahead, Mbabazi plans to leverage the CIIE experience to expand her beekeeping operations and market presence over the coming years. If successful, her company could become a significant conduit for Rwandan honey into China, propelling Rwanda’s honey industry onto a broader international stage while supporting local beekeepers and building sustainable trade links.
