Itangayenda Viateur is a management consultant in Kigali, Rwanda. In November 2021, he made a business trip to West Africa and, on his return, he witnessed an astonishing phenomenon: a group of around 50 passengers were flying to the Rwandan capital for a weekend. golf.
Since the opening last summer of the Kigali Golf Resort & Villas, the city has attracted many golfers. Thanks to a $16 million renovation [16,6 millions d’euros]financed by the Rwandan government, the old golf course, a shabby nine-hole, has been given a makeover, giving way to an eighteen-hole complex of more than 50 hectares, designed by the company of the famous South African player Gary Player.
Drain a rich clientele
Twenty-eight years after the genocide that killed around 800,000 people, murdered by their own neighbours, the construction of this complex comes at a time of economic expansion for this landlocked country, which hopes to establish itself as a business center , a crossroads of tech and professional sport for the entire African continent.
In 2019, Itangayenda Viateur moved into a large five-bedroom, three-bathroom apartment in the heart of Vision City, a residential complex of dimensions never before seen in the country, according to its developers.
Located in the Gacuriro district, the complex already includes 500 homes, to which 1,400 additional properties will soon be added. From its rooftop terrace, Itangayenda Viateur can see the golf course. In three years, the value of his apartment has increased by at least 30%, “partly thanks to the proximity of the golf course”, he explains.
The Kigali Golf Resort & Villas – which is about three kilometers from Vision City, through the hills – is also still under construction. Within ten years, it should cover more than 120 hectares. Eventually, it will include a clubhouse, a five-star hotel and more than 150 luxury villas available for rent or sale, lists Jack Bryan, the complex’s manager. Not to mention the swimming pool, the champagne bar, the gourmet restaurant and the smoking lounge.
A golf hub
The Rwandan government thus hopes to create a culture of golf among the local population, and to surf on the craze for the discipline to develop the attractiveness of the country vis-à-vis tourists and international investors. Clémence Nzayisenga, director of guest relations at the Retreat, a boutique hotel in Kigali, congratulates herself:
“Kigali is no longer just a stopover for tourists who come to observe the gorillas, it is now a destination in its own right. Some of our clients now practice sports tourism, and they systematically inquire about golf.”
However, there is a flip side to the coin, warn some activists and political commentators.
For a little over twenty years, Rwanda has been led by President Paul Kagame. Under his leadership, the government funded several high-profile development projects, including the Kigali Convention Center, an eco-friendly 9,700 square meter complex topped with a dome that can light up in the colors of the Rwandan flag. . With a budget of 300 million dollars [310 millions d’euros], this building, inaugurated in 2016, is one of the most expensive in Africa. The government also participated in the financing of the BK Arena, a 10,000-seat indoor stadium which in 2021 hosted the inaugural season of the African Basketball League, attached to the NBA.
Kagame’s “window dressing”
But Kagame’s government is often described as authoritarian. Some accuse him of suppressing the opposition, imprisoning his political opponents and restricting the freedom of the press. If he brought back a certain stability in the country, his detractors accuse him of having used the strong way.
The state is also accused of supporting militias in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. In August, Antony Blinken, the American Secretary of State, visited Kigali during his African tour, and would have exchanged with Paul Kagame on this subject.
“In Rwanda, the instruments of democracy are nothing but window dressing”, denounces Lewis Mudge, director for Central Africa at Human Rights Watch. And in a country where the average standard of living is less than $1 a day [environ 1 euro]modernization projects like the Kigali Golf Resort & Villas risk widening inequalities, even leading to raids and unjustified arrests [pour nettoyer les rues] of poverty ahead of major conferences.
“[Le gouvernement] wants to do [Kigali] an essential place for major conferences in East Africa, analyse Mudge. The problem is that the communication coup to restore the image of Kigali has a price.
Tourism and economic boom
Business is no less flourishing in the Rwandan capital.
“This golf course is an opportunity to stimulate the local economy by developing a sport that is still little known and by opening up new prospects in related sectors”, explains Josue Dushimimana, general manager of the course.
Because Rwandans also take up golf. When Jules Dusabe became a caddy in 1997 on the old course, he had never touched a club. After a few years wearing other people’s equipment, he took to the green himself, until he reached the professional level in 2015. At 35, he is now a coach and travels the whole world. “Golf is undergoing a metamorphosis in Rwanda, he observes. Many children are now turning to this sport.”
Leonard Nkurunziza didn’t know much about discipline either when he started out as a caddy twenty years ago. At the time, only a hundred players frequented the lawn of the nine holes. He barely knew the rules. Today, he participates in competitions and was even captain of the Rwandan national team. He still works for the golf course, and oversees all of the caddies. The club now has more than 400 regular members, he notes, amazed.
“Rwandans are starting to fall in love with golf.”
And even those who don’t play it love the sport, especially when they own property close to the course.
Last year, Pascal Germain and Denise Uwimbabazi Bagambake went looking for a house in Kigali. The entrepreneurial couple, who currently live in Nairobi, Kenya, plan to move to Rwanda, Denise’s native country, when their children grow up. Until then, they wanted to invest in a high-yielding rental property.
They unearthed a villa with six bedrooms and six bathrooms built five years ago. Its best asset: a breathtaking view of the golf course.
The couple bought the house, located in the upscale Nyarutarama neighborhood, for $800,000 [830 000 euros]. They now rent it to a family who signed a five-year lease and paid the first year upfront. If they do not want to disclose the amount of the rent, they confide however that they hope to amortize the purchase within seven years.
“We knew golf was the best place to invest,” points out Pascal Germain, a Rwandan who grew up in Belgium. He himself sometimes tries the white ball – despite some back problems – and his wife does not play at all. But they hope to take advantage of the location of their future home to one day introduce their children to the sport. “All potential tenants were looking above all for direct proximity to the course”, confirms his wife.
Prior to the redevelopment, nearby land sold for around $70 [73 euros] per square meter, recalls Charles Haba, director of the real estate agency Century Real Estate in Kigali. Today, it takes up to 200 dollars [207 euros]and the building sector is booming. “It’s buzzing with activity all around the course, adds Charles Haba. Large residential buildings are multiplying, apartments are selling at record prices.”
Immaculate lawns
The residential part of Kigali Golf Resort & Villas is still in the design phase. But in the immediate vicinity of the immaculate lawns of the course, many other projects are already reaping the fruits of the redevelopment.
In Vision City, where Itangayenda Viateur lives, “homes that were once worth $110,000 [114 000 euros] now sell for between $160,000 and $170,000 [entre 166 000 et 176 000 euros]”, says Simon Sondern, creator and director of Vibe House, a luxury real estate agency in Kigali.
The ultra-modern and fully equipped White Stone Apartments, available for short stays, can be rented from 100 dollars [104 euros] the night. They are found in two districts of Kigali, including one located just a few minutes from the golf course. They opened in 2021 and are sold out four months in advance, says Simon Sondern.
“Before the opening of this club, there were no golfers in Rwanda, points out Jack Bryan, the resort manager. It’s amazing how many apartments and hotels have since incorporated the word ‘golf’ into their name. All establishments with a view of the course hope to benefit from the benefits of the project.”