Founder, Afri-Foods Ltd

Afri-Foods is a women-led gourmet horticulture export business in Rwanda, empowering women and youth through contract farming. Afri-Foods supplies high-quality produce such as avocados, chilies, passion fruit, and fresh beans to both local and international markets. Its sustainable sourcing approach involves partnerships with 500 smallholder farmers and 5 cooperatives, ensuring compliance with agricultural standards. This supports farmers livelihoods, with 70% being youth and women. Afri-Foods combines horticultural expertise, sustainable sourcing, and local empowerment, making us a reliable, quality-focused gourmet horticulture exporter. Its mission is to uplift communities and deliver top-tier produce to markets in the UK, Europe, and the UAE. Born and raised in Rwanda, Sakina Usengimana’s national pride and entrepreneurial mindset has always been at the centre of everything she does. She began her professional career in hospitality management, working and training with brands such as Marriott International. Later, she explored other business ventures (e.g. a jewellery business). Sakina decided to combine her love for country, food, travel and connecting with people, through agriculture and created Afri Foods at 28 years old. A graduate at Akilah Institute in Business Management and Entrepreneurship, Rwanda, Sakina is a recipient of the 2018-2019 Texas Christian University Wilkens Award.