From Rural Passion Fruits to Kigali Markets: The Journey of Marcel Nkundabagenzi and Rwanda’s Horticulture Transformation Uwayezu Sylvio   © Copyright 2026 Uwayezu Sylvio

Photo of Kilgali Market in Rwanda at Wikimedia Commons

From Rural Passion Fruits to Kigali Markets: The Journey of Marcel Nkundabagenzi and Rwanda’s Horticulture Transformation

In Rwanda, agriculture is changing from a traditional activity into a growing business sector that connects rural farmers with urban markets. The story of Marcel Nkundabagenzi shows how young agripreneurs are helping to create new opportunities by building links between farmers, buyers, and fresh produce markets.

Marcel is the manager of Management Perform Ltd, an agribusiness company involved in passion fruit production and market development in Rwanda. His journey began with a simple idea: to use agriculture as a way to create value, support farmers, and contribute to Rwanda’s growing horticulture sector.

Like many farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs, Marcel experienced the challenges that come with producing fresh fruits. Growing passion fruits was only the first step. The bigger challenge was ensuring that fresh produce could be collected, transported, and sold through reliable market channels.

Fresh fruits require careful handling. Without organized collection systems and strong connections between farmers and buyers, rural producers can struggle to access better markets and receive the full value of their work.

Over time, changes in Rwanda’s fresh fruit supply chain created new opportunities. Through improved fruit collection systems, Marcel reached a new stage in his agribusiness journey: developing relationships with organized buyers in Kigali.

One of these connections was with Pack and Pick, a fresh produce company working with young agripreneurs and rural farmers’ associations to collect fresh fruits from farming communities and connect them with urban markets.

Through contract farming arrangements, farmers gained clearer market opportunities. Instead of producing without knowing where their harvest would go, they became part of a structured value chain involving farmers, associations, collection networks, packers, and buyers.

For Marcel, this represented more than a business relationship.

It represented a bridge between rural communities and urban markets.

Creating Opportunities Beyond Farming

The development of fresh fruit collection systems demonstrates how agriculture can create employment opportunities beyond the farm.

Young agripreneurs are creating businesses by connecting rural production with city demand. They help organize collection, quality control, transportation, and market access while creating new economic opportunities for farmers.

This transformation shows that agriculture is not only about growing crops. It is also about building businesses and creating networks that allow rural communities to participate in wider markets.

Marcel’s experience reflects a new generation of African agricultural entrepreneurs who see farming as a complete value chain.

A Vision for Rwanda’s Agricultural Future

The journey from a rural passion fruit farm to Kigali markets represents a larger transformation in Rwanda’s agriculture sector.

When farmers have access to organized buyers, reliable collection systems, and business partnerships, agriculture becomes more sustainable and profitable.

The story of Marcel Nkundabagenzi shows that rural transformation happens when people create connections.

A passion fruit grown in a rural community can travel through a network of farmers, young entrepreneurs, collection systems, and urban markets before reaching consumers.

Behind every fruit is a story of cooperation, innovation, and opportunity.

For Marcel, passion fruit is not only a product.

It is a symbol of how agriculture can connect rural communities to new possibilities and create pathways for economic growth.