As a result of the first Trace Awards and Festival that was held in Kigali, Rwanda on October 21, 2023, the multimedia and digital platform dedicated to exporting Africa’s top music to the world has expanded its activities to Rwanda.
The development was approved by a communique issued by Trace on Wednesday, February 7, which also announced former Development Manager of Kigali International Financial Center (KIFC) Gwladys Watrin as the Managing Director of Trace Academia and Trace Rwanda.
The decision, according to the statement, aims at advancing Trace’s presence in Rwanda’s educational sector and expanding its footprint in the country of a thousand hills.
Watrin, a dual citizen of France and Rwanda, with over 15 years of invaluable experience in international finance, will supervise the first growth of Trace Academia, an e-learning and empowerment platform spanning Africa and beyond, and will lead Trace’s new division tasked with expanding its activities in the creative industries within Rwanda.
According to the statement, Trace Academia is a division of Trace that publishes a free mobile app with courses and certificates dedicated to jobs, entrepreneurship, and soft skills.
Speaking to Sens Magazine, Watrin said that she is honored to have been appointed as the Managing Director of Trace Academia, a move that will facilitate her to keep playing a key role in Rwanda’s development journey.
“I’m excited to work together to empower learners worldwide from Rwanda,” She said.
Olivier Laouchez, Trace Chairman and Cofounder, expressed his excitement about Gwladys joining the team, highlighting her strong background in finance and project management.
“We are extremely happy to welcome Gwladys at Trace. In addition to her very strong background in finance and project management, she will bring to Trace her passion and energy to build solutions aligned with Trace’s mission to entertain and empower our people,” Laouchez said in the statement.
Trace’s debut on Rwanda’s art sector is a huge step for the local music industry which lacks investments that can push it to greater heights and get more plays and consumption.
In the previous year, Rwanda generated over $91 million in the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE), and Trace Awards which attracted over 50 worldwide celebrities in the country is among them.
The prestigious event marked a significant milestone as the first time the awards were hosted on the African continent, and Rwanda leveraged over $56 million in media value for hosting the event that celebrated outstanding musicians from Africa and beyond, with stars like Tanzania star Diamond Platnumz, Davido, Rema, and others receiving their respective accolades.
Established in 2003, Trace is a leading multimedia and digital platform dedicated to Afro-Urban music, cultures, and the success of young people and artists. With 350 million fans in 180 countries, Trace continues to be a significant player in the entertainment industry and beyond.
