GIORGIO COLLECTION EAST AFRICA

The Italian brand launches its first subsidiary in Rwanda,  for capillary management of contract&hospitality projects in the territories of Sub-Saharan Africa

Giorgio Collection, the Italian brand specializing in luxury interiors, operating in 52 countries around the world, is a constantly growing tale of success; over 60 years of international expansion, driven by the ability to grasp the potential of new furnishings markets in advance, intercepting the tastes and necessities of an emerging high-end clientele – from Russia to China, the Middle East to Southeast Asia.

A highly competitive business approach that makes timing one of its key strategic factors: this is the perspective behind the creation of Giorgio Collection East Africa, the subsidiary based in Kigali, Rwanda – one of the most prosperous states of Sub-Saharan Africa, which in 2018 reported economic growth of +7.2%. The region is going through an unprecedented phase of development, with burgeoning demand for services, infrastructures and consumer goods with increasingly high standards of quality.

The African distribution of Giorgio Collection began thanks to collaboration with important local players such as Master Assets Investments Ltd. in Rwanda and Wonda World Estates in Ghana: real estate investment firms that manage the multiple opportunities offered by Sub-Saharan growth.

This is a new frontier for furnishings Made in Italy, which the company helmed by Fabio Masolo has decided to explore in a multiyear initiative and a series of contract and hospitality projects that make the firm a protagonist in Ghana, Uganda and Rwanda.

Countries where Giorgio Collection has already created custom furnishings, handling the entire process of technical and operative coordination: this was the case of the 105 apartments on Oxford Street in the Osu 1 district of Accra (Ghana), followed by community spaces – cafes, restaurants, fitness rooms – and the 147 new apartments in the Osu 2 area. In Rwanda the company will be involved the creation of 80 total look units in Kigali, inside the Century Park Hotel and Residences, while in Uganda the projects include 28 residences to be completed in the futuristic metropolitan area of the Century Pavilion.

 “For our brand, Africa represents an increasingly important strategic asset, which in less than a year has reached the level of 15% of total sales, a share that is destined to grow in 2019,” says the president Fabio Masolo. “Thanks to Giorgio Collection East Africa we reach this market with a firm that is active in the territory, in compliance with local standards regarding imports and taxation. We are ready to respond to the requirements of clients with high levels of buying power, seeking outstanding quality and potential for customization. This is a business opportunity not only for our brand but also for the entire industry, which we hope will be addressed in a long-term approach, acting in a systematic way with all the productive players who are willing to take part with proven professionalism and experience.”