India’s electronic manufacturer, Sahasra Electronics, is steadily strengthening its presence in Rwanda and the East African region now that the company’s factory in Kigali nears completion.
With over 1600 square meters of space, the Sahasra factory under construction in Kigali’s Special Economic Zone will produce high quality LED lights and other customized electronic products to satisfy the region’s construction sector needs.
According to Sahasra Electronics Rwanda’s Chief Executive Officer Ms. Mary John, production at the Kigali plant is slated to commence in about six months.
“We are moving according to plan and I believe that we will begin producing LED lights and other customized electronics in Rwanda in about six months; to benefit the local market and neighboring countries,” she said.
The company’s CEO intimated in a market research around the region, it was discovered that demand for LED lights and willingness to shift from importing foreign commodities are high.
She emphasized that the region needs to consume locally made products in order to facilitate economic development.
Currently, Sahasra Rwanda is selling LED lights for both indoor and outdoor purposes imported from the company’s parent plant.
Using LED lights has numerous advantages over conventional lighting including among others saving on energy consumption.
In practice according to Ms John assuming that Sahasra’s, energy saving lights are adopted for all lighting needs in Rwanda, the country would save about 30 percent of total energy consumption according to an earlier study by the manufacturer.
For individual institutions, using LED lights saves in numerous forms including cutting replacement costs.
Sahasra’s LED lights have high durability of over 50,000 hours at work. This is reinforced with a three years warranty on all products.
For instance in case of conventional lights, the bulbs or tubes require replacement at least three times a year according to estimates from cooperate institutions. Comparing with the LED lights produced by Sahasra, there are three years of guaranteed lifespan during which any faults or damages on the lights are repaired at no extra costs.
Besides the Rwandan market, Sahasra’s location of an LED lights manufacturing factory in Kigali is in other words positioning the company to supply to Africa.
“We are not traders in LED lights but rather manufacturers and now we are going to be producing these lights from Kigali. This is the first plant of its kind in Africa and we intend to supply to the entire continent,” Ms John offered.
By setting up a production plant in Rwanda, Sahasra is contributing to substituting imports that continue to burden the country’s economy. Also upon commencement of production, the company will boost national export value by selling its products across Rwanda’s borders.
With a booming infrastructure sector led by the construction industry in the East African region, having lights produced from Rwanda equally presents a relief from importing materials.
This is believed will go deep in increasing output from the construction sector in the region and Rwanda particularly.
In Rwanda alone, the construction sector has tremendously grown over the last decade and is estimated to remain on a similar trajectory.
According to the National Bank of Rwanda, GDP in the construction industry more than doubled in a period less than five years from Rwf105 billion in 2006 to Rwf244 in 2010 while recent growth is estimated to have been enormous.
