Should your group be an ikimina or a cooperative?
Answer six short questions and see which type fits your group, why, and what to do next. It takes about a minute.
This check is a guide, not legal advice. For a final answer, ask RCA or your sector office.
Ikimina and cooperative compared
The main differences, in plain words.
| Ikimina | Cooperative | |
|---|---|---|
| Main purpose | Saving together and lending to each other. | Running an enterprise together, in any sector: producing, buying, selling or providing a service. |
| Members' money | Regular savings, shared out at the end of a cycle, often with a social fund. | Shares that form the cooperative's capital; any surplus is shared as the law sets out. |
| Trading and assets | Not the aim: the money circulates between members. | Yes: it can sell, employ staff and own assets. |
| Where to register | With your sector, online on MINECOFIN's IBIMINA platform. At least 5 members. | With the Rwanda Cooperative Agency (RCA), under Law N° 057/2024. |
| What registration gives you | A Certificate of Registration issued by the sector. | Recognition as a cooperative organization that acts in its own name. |
| Records to keep | Member list, contributions, loans and meeting minutes. | The 12 books of accounts RCA lists, General Assembly records and yearly reports to RCA. |
| What e-Mali does for you | Savings, the social fund, loans, fines and the year-end share-out. | Members, shares, loans, books, the Art. 97 surplus split and the RCA reports. |
Questions groups ask us
What is the difference between a cooperative and an ikimina?
A cooperative is a business owned by its members, registered with RCA, and it keeps full books of accounts. An ikimina is a savings group: members contribute on a schedule, often lend to one another and share out at the end of the cycle. Ibimina register with their sector through MINECOFIN's IBIMINA platform. e-Mali works for both.
How many members do we need to register an ikimina?
At least 5, each with a valid National ID or passport.
Does our group need to be registered first?
No. Any cooperative or savings group can start right away. If you register later, your records will already be in order.
Does it work for both cooperatives and savings groups (Ibimina)?
Yes. You choose your type when you sign up, and e-Mali shows the rules, words and tools that fit it.