Rwanda and Paris Saint-Germain: More than a partnership

For three seasons, the Paris Saint-Germain community and the world will have a unique opportunity to experience Rwanda’s breath-taking beauty, creative culture, innovative environment, and modern and distinctive Made in Rwanda products through unprecedented and creative communications. The partnership will also convey Rwanda’s openness to welcome business partnerships from France and across the world.

A win-win partnership

Visit Rwanda and Paris Saint-Germain will bring together their expertise through a new model of sport partnership built around three main cornerstones: cultural and artistic synergies, a shared commitment to excellence and football development.

Rwanda’s long-term vision aligns with Paris Saint-Germain’s commitment to the younger generation, reflected in their massive global appeal as the youngest major European club, home to many of today and tomorrow’s greatest footballing talents, a pioneer for fashion and lifestyle in football, and a hotbed for ground-breaking experiences.

First team players and legends will travel to Rwanda for remarkable experiences that will be shared through digital platforms across the globe with more than 70 million Paris Saint-Germain fans.

Visit Rwanda branding will benefit from premium exposure on the back of the training kit and pre-game warm-up kits of the men’s team and also on the sleeve of the kit worn by the women’s team during their matches. Visit Rwanda will also be displayed-at the Parc des Princes Stadium where fans of Paris Saint-Germain will also be given the opportunity to savour award-winning Rwandan tea and coffee that will be served exclusively at the Parc des Princes starting next season.

A “Semaine du Rwanda à Paris” (Rwanda Week in Paris) event will be organised to promote “Made in Rwanda”. A number of fashion, art and lifestyle collaborations will also be launched over the coming months and young and eco-responsible luxury brands will join forces with Visit Rwanda and Paris Saint-Germain in exciting tripartite collaborations.

Paris Saint-Germain will support young Rwandan footballers to reach their full potential by organising training programmes for both coaches and youth, enabling access to expertise offered by France’s most successful football club.

Marc Armstrong, Chief Partnerships Officer, said: “We are delighted to welcome Rwanda into the Paris Saint-Germain family as a Premium Partner. With this partnership, we will deepen our engagement with fans in Africa. This multifaceted collaboration will showcase all Rwanda has to offer and create powerful partnerships to contribute to Rwanda’s impressive growth. Having spent time getting to know the country, and its people, we are incredibly excited about the opportunity to create a platform for exchange between Rwanda, France and the rest of the world.”

Rwanda, a fascinating business and tourism hub

Through this partnership, Paris Saint-Germain joins Rwanda on the remarkable journey of transformation the country has been on for the last two decades. Rwanda is ranked the second safest country in Africa and is one of the fastest growing economies on the continent. Growing at 8.6% GDP per year, Rwanda is the second easiest place to do business in Africa according to the World Bank and has been awarded for its leadership in sustainable tourism by the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Investors in Rwanda are able to register their businesses in only six hours and immediately enjoy the market access opportunities offered by the Continental Free Trade Agreement that has been signed by more than 50 African countries.

Close to two million visitors per year come to Rwanda for business and pleasure, discovering a clean, green country with welcoming people eager to share their unique culture. In Rwanda, visitors enjoy some of the world’s finest coffee and tea while relaxing at awe-inspiring luxury eco-tourism properties.

Commenting on the partnership, Rwanda Development Board's Chief Executive Officer Clare Akamanzi, said: “In the last twenty-five years, Rwanda has transformed from a nation known for tragedy to one vibrating with creativity and innovation. We invest part of our tourism revenues in strategic collaborations such as the one with Paris Saint-Germain because we understand the positive effect they have on the overall perception of the country globally. This means attracting more tourism, boosting the export of Made in Rwanda products, creating more economic opportunities for our people and increasing jobs in our tourism industry and the larger ecosystem. Today, 142,000 Rwandans are directly employed in the tourism industry, up from 90,000 in 2017. Last year Rwanda received 1.7 million visitors to the countryand we expect more this year. Furthermore, we registered a record $2 billion in investments and we are confident that the partnership will boost more investments. We look forward to the opportunity for business and creative exchanges between the Paris Saint-Germain community and Rwanda. We cannot wait for Paris Saint-Germain fans to get to know today’s Rwanda - an ambitious, modern country that has much to offer the world."