Several international brands ship to Rwanda. Off the top of my head, there’s Kikuu, Yollanda, Boohoo, Alibaba, Amazon, Zara, ASOS, Fenty Beauty—you name it. But before you get too excited, there’s a catch: most of these brands come with hefty price tags and equally steep shipping fees. For example, Fenty Beauty, for some reason, adds crazy taxes when you set your location to Rwanda. So, if their foundation costs $40, at current exchange rates that should be around RWF54,237.16, but their website lists it at RWF67,100, and that’s before you add custom tariffs when it arrives in Rwanda.
For the sake of this article, we’ll focus on SHEIN as our case study. Not only is it a cult favorite, and the one I personally use the most, but it’s also affordable, less of a hassle, relatively fast, and has a ton of variety. Now, Shein isn’t my absolute favorite shopping site, but when it comes to affordability and a (mostly) stress-free experience, it’s been a winner for me. Whether it’s clothes, shoes, bags, kitchen stuff, bed sheets, home décor, or even perfumes, Shein’s variety is unreal—you can find practically anything!
Get started with an easy setup
To start using SHEIN, download the app and sign up with your email, phone number, and country. Once you’re inside, you can search for anything you want in the search bar. With thousands of adorable, one-of-a-kind items to browse—it’s no surprise, given the brand’s Asian roots, they know how to do “cute” like no one else!
When you find something that catches your eye, just add it to your cart. For clothes or shoes, make sure to select your size before you check out. You can also save items to your wishlist and come back later when you’re ready.
How to avoid the Customs hassle
While SHEIN does offer free shipping on orders over $100, it’s not worth the hassle because dealing with customs will cost you way more time, effort, and money. When your package arrives, the shipping company—which has a branch in Kigali—will call to notify you. Sounds straightforward, right? Well, here’s the catch: that call comes with a price tag of about 30,000 RWF. And no, that’s not the tax—it’s just the notification fee to let you know your package has arrived.
Once you pay the 30,000 RWF, you’ll get a document that lets you pick up your package at the airport. Let me warn you, this process can be long and expensive—sometimes costing hundreds of dollars depending on your package’s value. For example, I once ordered something worth around 247,000 RWF, and ended up spending an additional 222,000 RWF just to get it out of customs. I arrived at the airport at 10 a.m. and didn’t leave until 11 p.m.—a total nightmare! So, trust me, avoid getting your package stuck in customs if you can.
SHEIN’s shipping fee to Rwanda is typically around $29. To dodge the customs headache, make sure your total order cost doesn’t exceed $71. I like to stick around $69 just to be safe. Since a lot of items are priced at something like 4.99, you don’t want to accidentally go over that $100 limit.
The shipping takes about two weeks to reach Rwanda, which is pretty fast, in my opinion. And once it’s here, you won’t have to deal with the shipping company directly—they’ll just send a rider to deliver it to your doorstep or the address you provided at checkout.
That’s why it’s smarter to split your orders. It’s better to make, say, five separate orders, spending around $500 total, so your packages arrive directly at the shipping company’s warehouse—no customs or airport drama involved.
Want cute stuff for even cheaper? Here’s how
First thing you need to know: SHEIN is actually a marketplace. That means there are hundreds of retailers on the platform, leading to a flood of the same or similar items at competitive prices. When you find something you love, hit the “Find similar items” button, or sometimes, just scroll past the reviews section and you’ll see similar options at different prices. It’s a great hack, especially for items that are sold out—there’s almost always another seller with the same thing available!
Another tip: SHEIN always has discount coupons, so make sure to grab one before you check out! And if you leave reviews on products you’ve purchased, you can rack up points, which translate into even more discount coupons. Win-win!
How to get what you actually ordered
I’m sure you’ve heard the complaints—“SHEIN sent me something totally different from what I ordered!” That’s usually because people don’t read the details. Every item on their site comes with all the information you need, so it’s up to you to check the quality of the item you’re considering.
An even better tip is to read the reviews. They’ll tell you everything you need to know about the fabric. Is it stretchy or not? Are there any visible lines in the fabric? Is it cotton? Don’t stop at just a few reviews—if you’re still unsure, keep scrolling through more. I’ve personally never come across a SHEIN product without reviews, and most of the time, people post pictures, too. These photos show how the item looks in real life compared to the polished online version.
Another crucial point is sizing. Many products, especially shoes, might have Asian sizing, which tends to run smaller. For example, if you usually wear a large in clothes, that large might actually be an Asian size, meaning it could be smaller than what you’re used to. Always look for notes that mention “Asian size.” If you typically wear a large, you might need to size up to an extra-large or even a double extra-large, depending on the product.
Similarly, if you wear size 37 in shoes, when a product reads “Asian size,” you’d likely need to order a size 38 or 39. They usually specify when a product uses Asian sizing, so when you see that label, just know it’s a sign to size up. Keep in mind, though, that not all products will have this sizing issue.
What NOT to buy on SHEIN
Jewelry. Just don’t. It’s cute and cheap, but it won’t last. For something that won’t tarnish in two days, you’re better off buying from local Instagram shops or somewhere reliable. Same goes for cosmetics—it’s always risky buying skincare or makeup online when you can’t try it first. If it’s something going directly on your skin, especially for those with sensitive skin, it’s better to test it out in person before committing.
1 Comment
This article just saved me in my desperate moment. Thank you for this🙏