Where to work remotely in Kigali

Kigali has a great remote work culture. Cafes are happy to host people who sit all day long. What makes the list? I like to work remotely in Kigali at spots with good coffee, food, and internet connection.

One thing I love about the cafes in Kigali is that there are excellent outdoor options, covered or uncovered. This garden outdoor work vibe is unique and complements the great year-round weather Kigali has.

I’ll continue to update this list as I live in Kigali!

Internet Experience

Internet experience can vary based on the day and what you plan to do. For example, I may not have issues going general research online and writing blogs, but using my remote server for my job and connecting to video calls may not work.

In these cases, many people use their phones for a backup internet connection. I’ve been buying a 7GB monthly package from MTN, but I realize I may need to upgrade to have a reliable connection, depending on how many days I plan to work remotely.

Here is a handy map for all my favorite spots.

Where to work remotely in Kigali All Day Long

These are my favorite spots to really sit and work remotely all day long. Other cafes on this post may also be good, but these are the most notable cafes for me.

Yo Ki Ga Li

To say I love YO Ki GAa Li (Yoga… Kigali…, do you get it?) is an understatement! Between the views, the food, the coffee, and the covered outdoor setup, it’s the perfect place to settle in for the day.

The wifi works well for remote work calls and connects to my remote server without dropping. There are plugs in the center of the cafe to juice up your devices.

The coffee is strong, and there are a variety of sweet and savory dishes that feature local produce (and cheese!). Everything is vegetarian. The teas and juices are excellent as well. Each week, there is a different “mountain” (sandwich of the week), so if you go often as I do, then you’ll always get something new.

I typically go on Tuesday because there is a perfectly timed 5:30pm Yin, Yang + Sound Bath yoga session to end the day. If you’re a morning person, check out the schedule and then stay for breakfast and start your work day from here.

YO Ki GAa Li is also a B&B with curated, yoga-themed rooms. It’s located next to the Kacyiru Hospital, which makes it easy to catch a moto or explain the location to a taxi driver. Next door is Niyo Arts Center, probably the most colorful art gallery in the country, and worth a visit.

Lemon

Lemon is one of the best spots to work remotely in Kigali. The views are fantastic, the food arrives relatively quickly…. and there are computer plugs at every one of the many, many tables. Several people are on video calls at the same time, so the wifi connection is great.

Fika Café

Fika Café is perfect for all-day dining and working remotely in Kigali. They have a good breakfast and lunch menu. And, on weekdays, there is a traditional Rwandan lunch buffet! If you’ve got a remote work date scheduled with colleagues or friends, then take advantage of the weekly buy one get one free specials like tacos on Tuesdays, burgers on Thursdays, and pizza on Fridays.

The wifi works well and is reliable, plus I like the hidden garden vibe.

The coffee is strong, and I loved the little cookie that came with it.

Spend a Few Hours Working Remotely

At these spots, I’ve spent 2-4 hours working remotely and had a good experience. You may like working here all day long too.

Kivu Noir

The coffee at Kivu Noir is fantastic and well known across town. They also have a unique coffee-iced tea and matcha. The indoor and balcony space is great for catching up with friends or working. My only issue with Kivu Noir is that every time I’ve gone, the only food option is a chicken wrap or sandwich, a fruit bowl, or a pastry. It makes it difficult to spend more than 2 hours here unless you want a chicken sandwich, though I have heard this is the best in town.

Indabo

With two locations, Kimihurura and Kiyovu, most people end up preferring one over the other.  The Kimihurura location is located next to a dog park/day care. And the Kiyovu location has a playground. Both locations are known to take over an hour to serve food, so either don’t plan to attend hungry, or you can call ahead and order your food in advance—this is apparently common, but I haven’t done it yet…

Kiyovu location

Still, the sorghum bowl and breakfast burrito are worth the wait, and the overall vibe at either location is hard to beat. I’ve had better luck with serving times at the Kiyovu location in the morning before 10am.

Le Rituel

Le Rituel garden cafe has a good variety of breakfast and lunch options. Try the sweet potato waffle with mushrooms.

There are spaces to sit in a group or by yourself, and there are plugs around the edge of the wall and on the ground. I also liked this unique workspace bar, which is great if you really need to concentrate.

The wifi generally worked well, and there are two networks. However, it disconnected from my laptop a few times. If you have a work call, you may need to hotspot from your phone.  

Inzora Rooftop Coffee

Inzora Rooftop Coffee is a cafe on the rooftop (and there is also an indoor space) of the Ikirezi Bookstore. The best view is the table in the corner (though it’s never been free when I’ve visited).

The internet is reliable when I’ve used it. Though there aren’t that many tables on the rooftop, it would be a great workspace to visit on a rainy day and sit inside too.

The cafe serves veg salads and sandwiches. The best of which is the carrot lox bagel!

Envision

Visual media studio turned cafe, Envision has a view, cool murals, and a full menu. I got a mushroom rolex that left me full all day long. There are a few plugs along the edge of the outdoor space and a few inside. If you have a lot of calls or need a quiet space to work, you may look elsewhere. The internet connection worked well to connect to my remote server and share my screen while hosting a video call.

Go around the back to get the views.

Tugende

Tugende is located inside of the Mamba sports center that is home to a padel court and Kigali Wellness Hub. I love the classic Tugende smoothie (with peanut butter, yum) and the quiche.

Rubia Coffee

If you’re looking for coffee, lunch, and a workspace, Rubia Coffee is the place to go to spend the day. You can sit inside or out.

Baso Pâtissier

Baso Pâtissier has a lovely view of the hills when you’re looking for where to work remotely in Kigali. The veggie burger is the best I’ve had thus far. There are some French desserts too. The tables in the shade are good for a work morning or afternoon.

Just Coffee and Wifi

Café Couture

Café Couture is an innovation hub for artists that has since become a cafe. The views and coffee are great, and the internet works well. There are a few covered tables and some garden tables. A full menu is planned soon.

Question Coffee

There are two branches of Question Coffee in Kigali, one in Gishushu and another in Kiyovu. There is excellent coffee, but unfortunately, no real food, which prevents me from spending any large block of time here. And, if you’re out of luck (as I once was), the pastries will be gone by the time you want a snack. That said, the cold brew here is arguably the best in the city, and there are lots of plugs and good internet.

Gishushu is the larger of the two. It only has outdoor seating, but most of it is covered.

The Kiyovu branch is much smaller but good for a work meeting or a quick work session. There are just 10 tables or so.