CJAVIC Ltd

Company Overview

UZIMA SAFI Ltd is a Rwandan Trading and Customs-Bonded Warehouse Logistics Management Company managing the Rubavu Cross-Border Market (CBM) and the Public Customs Bonded Warehouse on the shores of Lake Kivu in Rubavu District. Situated adjacent to Goma City in the Democratic Republic of Congo and 160 km from Kigali via the NR4 highway, Rubavu serves as Rwanda’s most active commercial gateway to DRC’s populous North and South Kivu provinces.

The facility is central to regional integration and the Made-in-Rwanda export promotion strategy, linking Rubavu’s retail, logistics, and bonded-warehouse systems to the nearby Rubavu Dry Port.

Services and Operations

UZIMA SAFI Ltd provides a comprehensive suite of trade and logistics services, including bonded-cargo management, customs clearance, cold-chain storage, warehousing, financial-service integration, and trader formalization. The company operates under a PPP with Rubavu District and Rwanda Revenue Authority (RRA), focusing on modernizing the market into an inclusive, export-oriented trade hub.

Core functions encompass customs-bonded operations, warehouse rehabilitation, truck-parking management, and coordination of one-stop border processes in collaboration with RRA, Immigration, and PSF.

The company has revitalized warehouse sections, operationalized one cold room, expanded the truck-parking yard (47 m × 38 m), and initiated negotiations with banks and insurance firms to provide on-site financial services.

UZIMA SAFI also facilitates cross-border trader capacity building, women’s economic inclusion, and the promotion of duty-free Made-in-Rwanda retail zones.

Infrastructure and Facilities

The Rubavu CBM complex comprises 192 shops, five cold rooms, warehouses, financial-service offices, a restaurant, public utilities, and a multi-storey main building. UZIMA SAFI Ltd is implementing major structural redesigns — opening enclosed corridors for visibility, modernizing ventilation, and digitizing security through CCTV and server-room activation.

The company’s expansion plans include operationalizing three additional cold rooms, constructing an open-air hangar for perishable goods, establishing a dedicated Made-in-Rwanda retail zone, and upgrading sanitary and safety infrastructure.

Strategic Outlook

UZIMA SAFI’s corporate mission is to position Rubavu as a regional trade and logistics hub that bridges Rwanda’s domestic supply chains with DRC’s large consumer market. Its 2025–2026 strategic roadmap prioritizes full bonded-warehouse accreditation, expansion of financial and logistics services, establishment of a one-stop customs and immigration desk, and implementation of digital trade systems.

By integrating the CBM with the Rubavu Dry Port, UZIMA SAFI aims to create a seamless lake-road logistics corridor that supports Rwanda’s export diversification, enhances formal trade, and drives inclusive growth for border communities.