Former Minister of State for Infrastructure, Jean de Dieu Uwihanganye, has joined Raffles Household Workplace (RFO), an asset and wealth administration agency with headquarters in Hong Kong and Singapore.
The previous ambassador to Singapore will serve on the firm's Principal for Rising Markets and Enterprise Improvement, with a give attention to strengthening funding hyperlinks between Africa and Asia.
ALSO READ: Might Africa grow to be the subsequent vacation spot for household places of work?
Uwihanganye can be based mostly in Hong Kong and report on to RFO Group Chief Government Officer.
The appointment, introduced on Tuesday, September 8, comes because the multi-family workplace seeks to broaden its engagement in Africa, a continent the agency considers an more and more necessary supply of funding and wealth-creation alternatives.
RFO stated Uwihanganye will give attention to the Africa-Asia funding hall, serving to the agency have interaction with African households and traders whereas figuring out alternatives for Asian and world capital in African markets.
“Becoming a member of RFO permits me to assist African households entry world-class wealth and legacy options, whereas creating real, well-structured pathways for Asian and world capital to entry alternatives in Africa,” Uwihanganye stated.
He added that Africa and Asia are more and more changing into necessary companions in world development, with household capital having a task to play in connecting the 2 areas.
An engineer by coaching, Uwihanganye brings greater than 15 years of expertise in authorities, diplomacy, and enterprise administration.
He served as Minister of State for Infrastructure from July 2025 to June this 12 months. He had held the place of Minister of State in control of Transport from August 2017 to July 2019, earlier than he was appointed as Rwanda’s Excessive Commissioner to Singapore, Australia and New Zealand.
Throughout his diplomatic obligation, he was concerned within the conception and launch of the Inclusive FinTech Discussion board, which is one among Africa’s largest world finance and know-how occasion.
He additionally served as Dean of the African Group of Ambassadors in Singapore, representing 54 African nations in engagements with the Asia-Pacific enterprise neighborhood.
Earlier in his profession, Uwihanganye labored as director of enterprise improvement and planning on the engineering and building firm NPD Ltd.
Uwihanganye holds an MBA from Nanyang Enterprise Faculty at Nanyang Technological College in Singapore and a grasp's diploma in administration of building tasks, obtained from the College of Manchester.
RFO stated his appointment displays its long-term curiosity in Africa, whose inhabitants is projected to succeed in 2.5 billion by 2050.
The agency additionally pointed to the African Continental Free Commerce Space (AfCFTA), which brings collectively a market of about 1.3 billion folks with a mixed GDP of round $3.4 trillion.
In response to RFO, demographic development and the growth of the continental market are anticipated to drive wealth creation and enhance demand for funding administration, wealth structuring and succession options.
RFO Group CEO Chi-man Kwan stated Uwihanganye’s expertise throughout each Africa and Asia would assist the agency deepen its engagement with the continent.
“Africa’s potential is larger than many but recognise, and serving to notion meet up with that potential takes individuals who perceive each ends of the hall,” he stated.
