Most of the applications developed locally are not known or used within the country and beyond partly due to high levels of digital illiteracy and lack of targeted financing for digital innovations.

Although the government and development partners have invested a lot at the policy level and to backbone infrastructure and innovation hubs, only a fraction of the developed apps are in use.

The 2019 Global Innovation Index ranked Rwanda among the last seven countries in the world in terms of innovation output, while the country was ranked 65th out of 129 in terms of innovation input.

“Many of the apps developed in Rwanda are not even known. It is a serious issue since the key gap is funding. We do not have a strong network of investors funding our digital entrepreneurs,” said Claudette Irere, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT & Innovation.

She added that unlike the traditional sectors of the economy, digital innovation needs a distinct financing model. She was speaking at the recent Internet governance forum organized by Rwanda Information Communication and Technology Association.

It is only entertainment-based digital platforms and apps that have tried to garner adoption, with content platforms like Isimbi TV, Inyarwanda.com, Igihe and Igitabo cyindirimbo app, which have been downloaded by many locally.

Even with the establishment of innovation hubs like Klab, centres of excellence, and setting up tech start-up support institutions like Andela, digital innovations out of Rwanda are yet to generate the expected adoption and scale.

In the past eight years, however, the market has witnessed the creation of digital applications that have evolved into local blue-chip companies, with solutions to market problems such as AC Group-of the Tap & Go app, DMM, Hehe and Awesomity labs-makers of Move by Volkswagen app. The few tech  companies that have made it have client support or specialised financing.

About 95 per cent of the country is currently covered with 4GLTE, but the Internet is still largely underutilised, and not generating the expected economic value.

This fast Internet is being used for to access YouTube and other social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp, with only a handful of content creators taking advantage of the resource.