Karitanyi Ntare works as the project manager of E-ICT in Kigali. He worked a few years in the US as a programmer, but then he came back to Rwanda to build a software company in his home. “First, I planned to try it for just one year and go back in the United States, if it didn’t work”, he told me. ”But I stayed. Why should young programmers go out in foreign countries, when they can live and work at home.”

E-ICT provides local solutions, small networks, applications, data bases and data analysis mainly for the public sector. 45 people work for E-ICT. Part of the working force are 14 programmers, who work in PHP and Apache. “When I came back to Rwanda, my goal was to enter the local market – and build capacity.”

His idea was, to setup E-ICT as an outsourcing source for IT companies in the USA. “But why not Europe”, he shrugs his shoulders. And the main advantage of Europe is evident: “The European market is closer – it’s just a six hour flight from Kigali”.

A cooperation network for European and African companies – Karitanyi Ntare likes the idea: “African IT companies don’t like disadvantageous partnerships”, he declares. “We don’t need aid, partnerships has to be sustainable”. African IT companies may not have the same project management and quality standards as European IT companies do. But: “There is a learning curve”. After a few projects with European companies African companies can attain the quality level of Europe. Mister Ntare thinks additionally that a web based cooperation network is not only good for an African-European cooperation: “There is a need for IT solutions in Africa. It would be helpful, if African IT companies could come together and cooperate.”