Tigo Rwanda launches Rwf 50 million Tigo Women Entrepreneurship Fund

Tigo Rwanda has launched the Rwf 50 million Tigo Women Entrepreneurship Fund in partnership with the National Women Council during the International Women’s Day celebrations in Butare Cell, Gasabo District. The Fund will provide startup capital to more than 300 women from across the country to open mobile money businesses.  

Presenting the cheque to Oda Gasingiswa, the Minsiter of Gender and Family Promotion, Tigo Rwanda, Chief Executive Officer, Tongai Maramba said: “Tigo Rwanda is committed to increasing the number of women using mobile financial services from 39 per cent to 45 per cent by 2020. We understand and value the role that women play in guaranteeing their families’ financial management. This fund will bring us a step closer to delivering on this promise.”

Tongai Maramba, CEO, Tigo Rwanda

“This project is linked to two key principles – outreach and sustainability. We see those as critical to developing sound financial inclusion capable of serving rural communities and enabling women to improve their economic activities and livelihoods”, Maramba added.

On February 22, Tigo Rwanda signed the Connected Women Commitment Initiative during the GSMA Mobile World Congress Barcelona, Spain. The initiative aims to reduce the gender gap in mobile internet and mobile money services and empower all women and girls. The Tigo Women Entrepreneurship Fund is in line with our commitment to increase the number of women using mobile financial services from 39 per cent today to 45 per cent by 2020.

Currently, Tigo Rwanda has over three million customers and has invested over US $390 million from 2009 to date.   Tigo Rwanda is the only telecom to provide 4G LTE on mobile for both prepaid and post-paid customers.  Tigo Rwanda was awarded as the ‘Most Innovative Service’ at Africa Com 2014, for international mobile money transfers with integrated currency conversion between Tigo Rwanda and Tigo Tanzania as well as awarded for “Best ICT Exhibitor” at the Kigali Expo 2015.

About Tigo Rwanda

Tigo Rwanda is owned by Millicom, a leading telecommunications and media company uniquely dedicated to emerging markets in Latin America and Africa. It provides mobile, mobile financial, cable and satellite services to over 60 million customers in fourteen countries, primarily under the Tigo brand. Tigo has been operating in Africa since 1993, in Rwanda since 2009, and serves over 26 million customers in Africa.