A Rwandan entrepreneur is producing a unique product that is putting her village – and country – on the global map – beetroot wine.

Assumpta Uwamariya, a 28-year-old small-business owner based in the Rubavu district of western Rwanda, started a business in 2016 producing wine from beetroot, after she left university and struggled with unemployment for two years.

While doing casual work with a German-funded project in Ruhengeri in the Musanze District of Rwanda, the entrepreneur recognised the economic benefits of fruit. She connected with a wine-maker from Germany, who taught her the skills and knowledge needed for wine production.

Time spent experimenting with beetroot and pineapple led to the creation of Karisimbi Wines, which now offers flavour variants including beetroot, pineapple, grape and banana. Uwamariya grows beetroot on a small scale and augments it with stock from local farmers, adding to job creation in the region.

While most of Karisimbi’s customers are in Rwanda, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo, internationally the wines are being sold in Germany, with other markets showing signs of interest, including purchasers from Belgium. “Karisimbi Wines has already been tested and met international standards. In the local market, it is more competitive than wines imported from Europe, Asia and South Africa. I found out that I have customers in Germany. I don’t know how my wine got there, but they told me that they tasted my wine, and started ordering from me afterwards. Some of them even came all the way here to see me and buy wine,” said Uwamariya.