Rwanda
Rwanda exhibits post-catastrophic regeneration: 8.9% GDP growth in 2024, tech now 19% of growth, Kigali emerging as African fintech hub with GDP at $14.3 billion.
Rwanda's economic trajectory since the 1994 genocide represents one of the most remarkable cases of post-catastrophic regeneration in modern history—analogous to the ecological succession that rebuilds ecosystems after volcanic devastation. The country achieved 8.9% GDP growth in 2024, surpassing 2023's 8.2%, with technology emerging as the second-largest contributor to growth at 19% expansion. This positions Kigali as a regional fintech hub in partnership with Google DeepMind, NVIDIA, and Carnegie Mellon Africa. President Kagame's ambition to create the 'Singapore of Africa' reflects conscious niche construction—actively engineering the environment to favor specific development pathways. The economy demonstrates adaptive radiation across sectors: services regained position as the largest employer, generating over 500,000 new jobs in 2024, while agriculture recovers and industry expands simultaneously. At $14.3 billion GDP and $1,028 per capita, Rwanda remains small but has averaged 7%+ annual growth—among Africa's highest. The 2025 projection of 7.1% growth, while slower, still exceeds regional peers. This trajectory illustrates how catastrophic disruption can enable rapid systemic reorganization when combined with strong central coordination and deliberate institutional design.