VISIT RWANDA: Rwanda Ranked Safest African Country For Solo Female Travellers

Rwanda is among the top five countries that are safe for women who travel alone. The number of persons who embark on solo travels has risen in recent days, where travellers say they are choosing to travel without family and friends, simply to give themselves a break or treat themselves. By Fridah Naliaka

A picture of Virunga mountain, which is at the border of DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda,

According to research by the Norwegian Cruise Line, 33% of solo travellers want to have a break, 30% want to treat themselves and 17% did so after a breakup.

In a BBC travel report that lists five of the safest places for women who are travelling solo, Rwanda has been ranked amongst other countries including; Slovenia, United Arab Emirates, Japan and Norway.

The publication spoke to Rebecca Hansen, a Danish national who relocated to Rwanda in 2019 on a solo travel.

« There is police, security and military around at almost all locations and all times of day and night. It may seem intimidating at first, but you will quickly learn that all of these uniforms are friendly people who are always willing to help out, » Hansen told the publication.

The safety of female solo travellers in Rwanda is linked to the country’s top performance in the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) global index.

Here, Rwanda and South Africa rank 66 worldwide, with an index score of 0.748. With an 88.2% score, Rwanda stands out as the leading country in women’s employment and 80.6 in absence of legal discrimination against women.

These factors make Rwanda a favourable destination for female solo travellers.