Several international brands ship to Rwanda. Off the top of my head, there\u2019s Kikuu, Yollanda, Boohoo, Alibaba, Amazon, Zara, ASOS, Fenty Beauty\u2014you name it. But before you get too excited, there\u2019s 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\u2019s before you add custom tariffs when it arrives in Rwanda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For the sake of this article, we\u2019ll focus on SHEIN as our case study. Not only is it a cult favorite, and the one I personally use the most, but it\u2019s also affordable, less of a hassle, relatively fast, and has a ton of variety. Now, Shein isn\u2019t my absolute favorite shopping site, but when it comes to affordability and a (mostly) stress-free experience, it\u2019s been a winner for me. Whether it\u2019s clothes, shoes, bags, kitchen stuff, bed sheets, home d\u00e9cor, or even perfumes, Shein\u2019s variety is unreal\u2014you can find practically anything!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Get started with an easy setup<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2014it\u2019s no surprise, given the brand’s Asian roots, they know how to do “cute” like no one else!<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019re ready.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to avoid the Customs hassle<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While SHEIN does offer free shipping on orders over $100, it\u2019s not worth the hassle because dealing with customs will cost you way more time, effort, and money. When your package arrives, the shipping company\u2014which has a branch in Kigali\u2014will call to notify you. Sounds straightforward, right? Well, here\u2019s the catch: that call comes with a price tag of about 30,000 RWF. And no, that\u2019s not the tax\u2014it\u2019s just the notification fee to let you know your package has arrived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once you pay the 30,000 RWF, you\u2019ll get a document that lets you pick up your package at the airport. Let me warn you, this process can be long and expensive\u2014sometimes costing hundreds of dollars depending on your package\u2019s 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\u2019t leave until 11 p.m.\u2014a total nightmare! So, trust me, avoid getting your package stuck in customs if you can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SHEIN’s shipping fee to Rwanda is typically around $29. To dodge the customs headache, make sure your total order cost doesn\u2019t 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\u2019t want to accidentally go over that $100 limit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The shipping takes about two weeks to reach Rwanda, which is pretty fast, in my opinion. And once it\u2019s here, you won\u2019t have to deal with the shipping company directly\u2014they\u2019ll just send a rider to deliver it to your doorstep or the address you provided at checkout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n That\u2019s why it\u2019s smarter to split your orders. It\u2019s better to make, say, five separate orders, spending around $500 total, so your packages arrive directly at the shipping company\u2019s warehouse\u2014no customs or airport drama involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Want cute stuff for even cheaper? Here\u2019s how<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019s a great hack, especially for items that are sold out\u2014there\u2019s almost always another seller with the same thing available!<\/p>\n\n\n\n Another tip: SHEIN always<\/em> has discount coupons, so make sure to grab one before you check out! And if you leave reviews on products you\u2019ve purchased, you can rack up points, which translate into even more discount coupons. Win-win!<\/p>\n\n\n\n How to get what you actually ordered<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve heard the complaints\u2014\u201cSHEIN sent me something totally different from what I ordered!\u201d That\u2019s usually because people don\u2019t read the details. Every item on their site comes with all the information you need, so it\u2019s up to you to check the quality of the item you’re considering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n An even better tip is to read the reviews. They\u2019ll 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\u2019t stop at just a few reviews\u2014if you’re still unsure, keep scrolling through more. I\u2019ve 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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\u2019re used to. Always look for notes that mention \u201cAsian size.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similarly, if you wear size 37 in shoes, when a product reads “Asian size,” you\u2019d 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\u2019s a sign to size up. Keep in mind, though, that not all products will have this sizing issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What NOT to buy on SHEIN<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Jewelry. Just don\u2019t. It\u2019s cute and cheap, but it won\u2019t last. For something that won\u2019t tarnish in two days, you\u2019re better off buying from local Instagram shops or somewhere reliable. Same goes for cosmetics\u2014it\u2019s always risky buying skincare or makeup online when you can\u2019t try it first. If it\u2019s something going directly on your skin, especially for those with sensitive skin, it\u2019s better to test it out in person before committing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Several international brands ship to Rwanda. Off the top of my head, there\u2019s Kikuu, Yollanda, Boohoo, Alibaba, Amazon, Zara, ASOS, Fenty Beauty\u2014you name it. But before you get too excited, there\u2019s a catch: most of these brands come with hefty price tags and equally steep shipping fees. For example, Fenty Beauty, for some reason, adds<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":8021,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[86],"tags":[102,156],"ppma_author":[123],"class_list":{"0":"post-8013","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-lifestyle","8":"tag-retail-therapy","9":"tag-story-of-the-day"},"yoast_head":"\n