French-based ‘U’ supermarket and hypermarket brand opening in Rwanda

It will do so through a strategic partnership with Groupe Duval, a French-based property development company which is developing the new Inzovu Mall in Kigali, Rwanda’s largest city. 

Inzovu Mall is expected to be the city’s biggest shopping centre and will comprise a retail and leisure hub, a four-star hotel, offices and a business centre. 

Coopérative U’s first outlet in Rwanda will be a U Express store, scheduled to open at the mall in early 2026. 

Spar brand has recently entered Rwanda 

“This move comes months after Spar entered Rwanda in April 2025 through a partnership with local chain Sawa Citi, which is rebranding all its stores under the Spar name, beginning with a location in Kigali’s Nyarutarama suburb,” reports the publication Food Business Africa. 

“For Coopérative U, Rwanda will become its 11th market on the African continent, adding to its existing presence in francophone West and Central Africa, as well as in Mauritius, Morocco and Madagascar. 

“At present, Kigali’s supermarket landscape is dominated by local and regional operators, including Simba Supermarket with 13 branches, Sawa Citi which is shifting to the Spar format, the centrally located 2000 Supermarket, and Sharma Supermarket, which caters to customers seeking imported specialty goods.” 

Louis-Victor Duval, CEO of Groupe Duval, says in a statement posted on the company website: “Through this partnership and the upcoming launch of the U brand in Rwanda, we want to give customers easier access to quality products, support the upskilling of local talent, and actively contribute to the country’s growth momentum.”