As some sectors and businesses crumble under the weight of the coronavirus pandemic, some businesses, especially those making products meant to control the spread of the virus have cashed in, creating jobs for many.

As the pandemic raged on from early last year, the government swung into action incentivising and encouraging the private sector to make products needed in the fight against the virus, since importing them had also become difficult due to travel and cargo glitches.

This created a range of new product lines on the market which were massively demanded like facemasks, sanitisers among others, while demand for products like detergents and soaps also shot up.

For some businesses like garment companies and other smaller tailoring companies that had closed, or on their deathbed due to lockdown inactivity, this was a shot in the arm.

They secured licences and started manufacturing facemasks as the country raced against time to control the spread of the virus.

“The pandemic hit after I was just one year into business, making garments for corporate companies, we got a license to make masks I hired up to 100 workers making 7500 masks a day, it was a reprieve to the business,” said Marc Gwamaka, chief executive of Aki garments.

He says although the market later opened up and more facemask maker came beyond the initial licensed few which spread the gains, the company continued making face masks with more innovations to be able to stay in business.

“We had bought machinery and hired more staff and suddenly government lost control of the market and many players entered, we started making masks for the high end market costing Rwf5000 and Rwf2500, “We also made personalised masks with names, also making masks for children with cartoon characters, I broke even, made profits and my business expanded in this period” said Gwamaka.

Upon securing of licence from Food and Drug Authority, up to 45-garment making companies-who operate under their umbrella company, Apparel manufacturing Group (AMG), called back their tailors, assembled machinery and started mass production of facemasks at MIC building. In two weeks, the team of over 500 tailors, 90 per cent of whom are women produced up to 1 million facemasks.