Meet Maryse Mbonyumutwa, founder turning Rwanda’s Pink Mango into global brand

Maryse Mbonyumutwa is building a fashion business from Kigali with a clear focus: make Africa a reliable base for global apparel production while keeping jobs, skills and value on the continent. 

The Rwandan entrepreneur is the founder and chief executive of Pink Mango, a garment manufacturer, and Asantii, a fashion label rooted in African design. She is also the granddaughter of Dominique Mbonyumutwa, Rwanda’s interim first president, a link to history that sits alongside a distinctly modern business agenda.

Rwanda gains ground in apparel exports

Mbonyumutwa’s career spans more than two decades in the apparel industry, with experience across Europe, China and Southeast Asia. That background shaped her understanding of supply chains and sourcing and, ultimately, her decision to invest in Rwanda. 

She set up Pink Mango’s operations in Kigali in 2019, betting on the country’s push to grow light manufacturing. By 2024, the factory employed more than 1,000 workers, producing garments for export and helping position Rwanda as a growing player in global fashion supply. 

The company runs two units: “La Manufacture,” focused on large-scale outerwear production, and “L’Atelier,” which handles premium and luxury collections. Together, they serve a mix of international and African brands. 

Pink Mango’s approach leans heavily on responsible production. Through its “Pink Ubuntu” initiative, the company ties business goals to worker welfare and broader social impact, promoting what it calls shared responsibility across the value chain.

Mbonyumutwa gains global fashion recognition

Alongside manufacturing, Mbonyumutwa launched Asantii, a contemporary pan-African label that brings together designers from across the continent. The brand highlights African craftsmanship while targeting buyers in Africa and Europe. 

It reflects a broader strategy: pairing industrial capacity with creative direction. By linking factory production to African design, Mbonyumutwa is working to keep more of the fashion value chain within the continent. 

Her efforts have drawn international attention. She is part of the BoF 500, a global index of influential figures in fashion, and was named among Vogue Business 100 innovators. 

In Rwanda, she has participated in national discussions on entrepreneurship and financing, including the MSME Growth Symposium hosted by Access to Finance Rwanda, the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Mastercard Foundation.

Expanding partnerships and global reach 

Pink Mango has expanded its global manufacturing footprint, deepening ties with European retailers and scaling export orders from its Kigali garment factory, including production linked to a major Italian retailer that reviewed operations and quality standards on site. 

In 2025, the company joined the technical training with China’s SUMEC, focused on production systems, efficiency, and quality control as it ramps output.

Training has also been a priority. Through a program led by GIZ in partnership with Rwanda’s institutions, Pink Mango staff took part in instructor training designed to deepen technical skills on the factory floor. 

The company has also begun producing for African luxury labels. One recent milestone was manufacturing for Christie Brown, a Ghanaian womenswear brand known for its design-led collections. 

Government engagement has followed. Rwanda’s minister of trade and industry, Prudence Sebahizi, visited the factory in 2025, highlighting its role in job creation and industrial growth.

Mbonyumutwa is part of a small but growing group of business leaders trying to shift how global brands view Africa not just as a source of raw materials, but as a place to manufacture finished goods. 

She has spoken about that goal at international forums, including a Business of Fashion event in Dubai, where she outlined the case for more inclusive and geographically diverse supply chains. 

Pink Mango targets global garment manufacturing

Founded in 2011 in Lasne, Belgium, Pink Mango has evolved into a cross-border trading and garment manufacturing business spanning Europe and East Africa. The company entered Rwanda in 2019 through a joint venture with China-based C&D Products, a partnership that ended in 2023 following strategic differences. 

Today, Pink Mango operates a fully owned, export-led factory in Kigali, serving global apparel clients. The Kigali facility anchors a strategy built on export growth, job creation and local industrial development. Operations have continued to scale despite shifts in partnership and market dynamics. 

Mbonyumutwa’s goal is clear: demonstrate that Africa can produce high-quality, ethically made garments at scale and compete in the global fashion manufacturing industry.