Frankfurt-based software testing company debuts on Rwandan market

By Michel Nkurunziza.

TestSolutions- a company from Germany with more than 15 years of experience offering software testing solutions for various sectors has debuted on Rwandan market.

TestSolutions has been supporting renowned customers in the field of test factory services, test automation, test management, tool development, and service transition.

The company’s industry experience covers the international automotive, aviation, banking, healthcare, insurance, research, and transportation sectors, which it supports through the offices in Frankfurt, Pune (India), and Kigali.

Recently the company embarked on training 10 staff that could help train more workforce for the company in the near future.

The training sessions were also graced by representatives from Rwanda Information Society Authority – RISA and the ministry of ICT and Innovation.

Rwanda Information Society Authority “RISA” is a government institution established in 2017, governed by presidential order N° 077/01 of 09/12/2022.

RISA has the mission of digitizing the Rwandan society through increased usage of Information and Communication Technologies and innovation technology as a cross-cutting enabler for the development of other sectors spearheading Rwanda’s digital and social economic transformation.

Deputy ambassador of Germany Peter Primus and Itzhak Fisher, the chairman of Rwanda Development Board (RDB) also visited the training sessions.

Janis Just, Head of Offshore operations at TestSolutions which was founded in 2007 said that they are ready to provide software testing services on Rwandan market.

“We want to improve the quality of software products in Rwanda. We decided to come to Rwanda because we believe that Rwanda has the power and capability to become one of the major IT hubs in Africa in the very near future. We are looking into Africa as it has very young population,” he said.

He said that when they see e-government services they see challenges they want to help address.

“Rwanda is very much in front but still you will have to provide the service to your citizens that will be satisfied. That is part of trust in the government. It is important to promote software testing because not many people know that this exists. It is not something that is common knowledge here. In software development lifecycle, testing is essential. Otherwise client will not be happy with software,” he said.

Janis Just added that young workforce of Rwanda in IT needs training.

“We do it in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University. We come to the university to programme there in IT and provide a class with software testing first techniques to know,” he noted.

As more softwares are locally produced, software testing is an integral part, he added.

“What we found in Rwanda there is enthusiastic and knowledgeable young people that understand the importance of software testing. Software testing doesn’t have a very long history in Rwanda. We have to invest in up-skilling programmes. The basics are there but there is lack of experience. There is team of 10 being trained that will be responsible in the near future to teach new staff,” he said.

Isabelle Bucyeyeneza, the Managing Director of TestSolutions Company in Rwanda said that the company opened in Rwanda in March, 2023.

“We want to closely work with RISA, ICT and Innovation ministry and other major institutions-both public and private promoting ICT. We are in discussions with Carnegie Mellon University, Rwanda Coding Academy and others to introduce software testing in the curriculums,” she said.

She said there is workforce in ICT sector in Rwanda that can attract investors.

“Rwanda’s environment that is stable with less corruption is attractive investors such as TestSolutions Company,” he said.

She said the company can provide good contribution to improving e-government services such as Irembo platform.

Irembo was created in 2014 to digitize government services to ensure efficiency in provisions of better, quicker and convenient services by government officials and institutions, but also ensure citizens access each service at their convenience in terms of self-service (or support by an agent nearby), and ease of payments.

“We can have partnership,” she said.