What does Doja Cat’s first ever performance in Africa mean for Rwanda’s tourism? : Doja Cat in Rwanda

Doja Cat who is an American rapper and well known for her energetic performances held her first ever performance in Africa at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda. The global superstar performed to her fans in Kigali and from around the world on 17th March, 2026 and her performance was superb.

The rapper took to the stage to perform her hit songs like Paint the town red, Get in to it (Yuh) and Say so among others. Her fans had such an amazing time as they got to watch their superstar perform live and most were filled with excitement and rapping along with her for songs like Paint the town red. The energy in the BK Arena was unmatched and could be felt throughout the arena.

Doja Cat was headlining the Move Afrika concert in Kigali, Rwanda which is part of the Move Afrika tour. The Move Afrika tour is an initiative by Global Citizen which happens annually with its main focus being promoting live music series and touring across Africa. Doja Cat will also be performing at Sunbet Arena in Pretoria, South Africa on 2oth March, 2026. Both these concerts are part of the Move Africa Tour.

So looking at Doja Cat in Rwanda, I decided to use this article to lay out my thoughts on what I think her performance in Rwanda means for Rwanda’s tourism.

First of all, I think its amazing that Rwanda is the first country to host Doja Cat for her first ever performance in Africa and this alone is a ground breaking achievement for tourism in Rwanda. Visibility is one of the core goals of tourism marketing and the visibility that Rwanda has received from this concert alone will positively impact Rwanda’s tourism. The visibility in this case is both fan based and online based. Doja Cat has fans from across the world and her having her first concert in Africa in Kigali has introduced her fan base to Rwanda as a country and as a travel destination.

Doja Cat performing at the BK Arena in Kigali, Rwanda. Photo Credit: Global Citizen

The online based visibility will and is through social media and we all know that the current environment that we are in heavily relies  on social media. Tourism and destinations are amplified through social media marketing and social media videos that are shared by travelers from the destinations that they visit. For the case of Doja’s concert in Kigali,there are two ways in which Rwanda will be amplified as a tourism destination, one is through Doja Cat’s social media accounts and also through fans who attend the concert sharing their experience of Doja Cat’s concert in Kigali.

Doja Cat has a strong social media presence because being a global superstar always comes with worldwide visibility. Doja Cat’s Instagram’s account alone has 24.6 million followers and on 17th February she announced to her fans through an Instagram video that she would be performing in Rwanda and South Africa and that she was working with Global Citizen and Move Afrika. This Instagram post alone gathered 399,000 likes and over 7000 shares, this alone shows that her impact is global and that her followers who probably did not know about Rwanda will now pick interest in the destination because their favorite artist performed in Rwanda.

Doja Cat’s concert in Kigali also impacted Rwanda’s tourism because it brought fans from East Africa and other parts of the world to come watch her perform live at the BK Arena. Some of the fans were seeing her for the first time  while others had seen her before but since they love their favorite artist, they booked tickets to see her again. The attendees of this concert therefore had to book hotels, book their flight tickets, fuel their cars for the road, eat food and also buy clothes or necessities at shops in Rwanda. The impact of the attendees on Rwanda’s tourism is huge because that means people are spending money on the days leading up to the concert and the days after. This in turn makes key tourist businesses like hotels and business owners in Rwanda earn money and creates job opportunities for the people of Rwanda.

Attendees at the BK Arena in Kigali. Photo credit: @visitrwanda_now

The attendees will also impact Rwanda’s tourism because as travelers, people are always looking for leisure and travel activities to engage in when they land in a county. Some attendees will choose to visit national parks in Rwanda like Nyungwe Forest National Park and Akagera National Park.

Attendees who have days to spare after the concert might choose to go gorilla trekking in Rwanda in Volcanoes National Park. This positively contributes to Rwanda’s tourism because this means that gorilla permits are purchased, lodges near the park are booked and national park staff get work. This shows how much impact having a global icon perform in your country can positively impact your tourism industry.

Doja Cat’s performance in Rwanda has also created great job opportunities for the concert workers. People that handled production, sound and stage management at the BK Arena in Kigali got an opportunity to earn money and show case their talents. It also means that vendors that had their stalls at the BK Arena also got an opportunity to sell their products to the attendees. This shows how music concerts like this contribute both to tourism in Rwanda and also supports local’s businesses.

All in all, Doja Cat put up an energetic amazing performance, I am sure the fans left satisfied and with great memories of their favorite artist. Tourism in Rwanda was and will continue to be positively impacted by this concert. Businesses had an opportunity to sell and showcase their products. Jobs were created and people went home with income and all this shows just how Rwanda is and will continue to be a great destination for tourism and leisure. The concert was a success and this also is testament to the organization, excellence and focus that Rwanda has.

Move Afrika by Global Citizen in my view is a brilliant initiative and I am glad that the organization is heavily investing, promoting and supporting the arts. As Henry James once wrote, “It is art that makes life, makes interest, makes importance, and I know of no substitute for the force and beauty of its process.” The arts are more important now more than ever!