Kivu Choice, a vertically integrated aquaculture company operating on Lake Kivu, is rapidly growing into one of Africa’s fastest-rising fish producers and the largest supplier of animal protein in Rwanda. Founded in late 2021, the company says it now produces more than 10 million fish meals a year, with operations that include a feed mill, hatchery, cage production, distribution, and retail outlets.
The company’s goal is to increase access to affordable fish across the country, contributing to food security and improved nutrition.
Kivu Choice says its journey began with a goal of bringing more fresh and high-quality tilapia to Rwandan households. Today, its fish reaches dining tables in Kigali and other districts through a network of local traders and Kivu Choice-branded sales points.
In October 2024, the company signed a financing agreement worth RWF 5 billion with the Bank of Kigali. The funding supports the expansion of equipment, fish production, and lending capital to local suppliers and distributors who help move fish nationwide.
Growth has continued through 2025. Kivu Choice announced larger investment plans, including a reported USD 10 million aimed at increasing its annual output in the coming years and accelerating business expansion across Rwanda and the East African region.
This year, the firm introduced 30-meter floating cage systems on Lake Kivu to boost production capacity. The switch from smaller ponds to larger lake-based cages enables faster and higher-volume fish farming. The company says this expansion has created new jobs in lakeside communities and strengthened fish supply chains to major markets like Kigali.
As demand for affordable animal protein continues to rise across the country, Kivu Choice projects that its footprint in the aquaculture industry will keep growing. The company’s efforts also align with Rwanda’s broader ambitions to promote commercial fish farming and self-reliance in food production.
