Searching for the Rwandan miracle

Rwanda is being hyped as the new Jewel of Africa, the oasis of progress. In the headlines every day, Rwanda has done something spectacular, visionary, a satellite in space, a homegrown smartphone factory, all the while climbing up the ranks of the Doing Business and Competitiveness reports.

The country’s name is now synonymous with visionary leadership and progression. Politicians in Africa now use Rwanda as an example of the Africa ‘we’ want. South African finance Minister, Tito Mboweni regularly praises Kigali’s unsurpassed cleanliness and order, comparing it unfavorably to the chaos and shambles in Johannesburg’s downtown.