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Rwanda's culture of time

Rwanda's culture of time

Flexible sense of time

In Rwanda, the sense of time is flexible, as it is called "African time," and delays of several tens of minutes tend to be tolerated on a daily basis.

Time flows in social interactions

In a culture that values ​​conversation and human relationships, there are many situations in which connections with people are prioritized over schedules.

Life rhythms aligned with worship and local events

Sunday worship and local gatherings are deeply rooted in daily life, and schedules are sometimes changed to accommodate them.

Rwanda's values ​​of time

Tendency to value relationships over time

More importance is placed on "coming" to an appointed place than accuracy, and there is a social climate that is tolerant of small differences in time.

Group harmony also affects sense of time

In a culture that prioritizes the convenience of the whole, it is not uncommon to delay the start of a group until it is ready.

Emphasis on calm over efficiency

Being in a hurry is not preferred, and there is a value in being calm and not in a hurry.

Things about time that foreigners should know when traveling or moving to Rwanda

Appointment times are only a guideline

Business and daily plans do not always start at the specified time, so it is safe to take some delays into account.

Public institutions and transportation may not always run on time

Buses and government offices are often not scheduled, so you should act with plenty of time.

Official events tend to start late

Government events and ceremonies often start later than the time stated on the invitation, so you need to be flexible and not rush.

Interesting trivia about time in Rwanda

Schools and public institutions often start early in the morning

People tend to start their work with the sunrise, so even in urban areas, work generally starts at 7am.

Lifestyle rhythms aligned with the movement of the sun

In areas outside of urban areas, electricity is unstable, so people tend to start their work with the sunrise and go to bed with the sunset.

Meetings and gatherings are basically held "after people gather"

There is a culture where things start moving based on "whether all the participants are present" rather than the start time, and strictly following a punctual schedule is rare.