Digital Nomads: How Bankole Dunsin built businesses in Rwanda as a hybrid nomad

Bankole Dunsin could have had a long career in bartending, in food, or in music. Those were special interests he had always held since his university days; threads of creativity that shaped the kind of person he would become.

Fresh out of school, he stumbled into bartending by chance, stepping in for a friend and discovering a talent for the craft. Back in university, he had already been running a small design agency, creating visuals for local businesses and upcoming artists, a venture that taught him the basics of branding and entrepreneurship.

He is the kind of person who slips easily between worlds. One day he might be perfecting the balance of a cocktail, the next sketching a brand identity in a quiet studio, or directing a creative campaign.

That range of skills and his restless curiosity eventually carried him from Lagos to the heart of East Africa, and into a completely different chapter of his life.

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A hybrid nomad in East Africa

His first trip out of Nigeria came in late 2021, when he decided to try a change of environment and get inspiration for work. A friend suggested Rwanda. “The place is calm and the weather is cool,” the friend said. Needing no further convincing, Dunsin packed his bags and headed to the hilly country.

When he arrived in Kigali, he understood. The air was lighter, the hills rolled gently into the distance, and the streets hummed with the quiet rhythm of small shops, motorbikes, and the mundane. What began as a break became a period of movement between Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda, exploring the region as a hybrid nomad, keeping up with work while discovering new opportunities.

Rwanda’s order and predictability stood out, as did its clear immigration process. The W2 Entrepreneurship visa was the doorway Dunsin needed. It allows experienced entrepreneurs to establish and run a business, provided they submit a detailed plan, proof of experience, and evidence the venture would benefit the country. Once approved, the government checked in, sending inspectors to ensure the business met standards, was properly registered, and complied with tax rules.

For Dunsin, it was the kind of structure that made a long-term move worth considering. He applied, got the visa, and decided to build something in Kigali.

The restaurant year

The first idea came from a simple ritual: weekly cookouts with friends. They would gather, share food, and swap stories, and soon people began to suggest turning it into a business. Dunsin had tried to start a restaurant once before, back in university, and the thought of giving it another go in Rwanda appealed to him.

Partnering with a few others, he set up what he describes as a street food bistro: Nigerian staples like jollof rice alongside burgers, fries, and other casual dishes. The target audience was mostly Nigerians living in Rwanda and young Rwandans curious about other countries’ food exports and flavours than they were used to.

“Rwandan food isn’t as spicy or layered,” he explains, “but the younger crowd loved our food.”

Setup was the biggest expense in starting a restaurant business: kitchen equipment, fit-out, and meeting the regulatory standards that inspectors required before opening, said Dunsin. They chose a mixed-income neighbourhood close to a market, hoping for steady foot traffic. They organised several activation and outdoor marketing campaigns, which drew crowds as fast as it made their budgets disappear.

Sourcing ingredients also came with its own challenges. Nigerian spices and other staples were imported or bought from specialist suppliers, which increased costs.

The restaurant ran for about a year. Events kept it busy on weekends, but the departure of some partners left too much work and cost on Dunsin’s plate, alongside his commitments to WeTalkSound, a creative agency where he worked his day job. Eventually, he closed it down. Looking back, he says he would have narrowed the menu from the start.

“I’d just sell fries, different flavours of them,” Dunsin said. “Rwandans love the way we make fries. Running a big menu is expensive. It is better to perfect one thing first.”

From food to fitness tech

Closing the restaurant didn’t end his interest in food; it shifted it into a new format. His next venture was a tech-based fitness service that created customised meal plans to match people’s health and training goals. It was lighter on physical infrastructure but heavier on product design, user experience, and getting the details right for the Rwandan market.

The idea was to bridge the gap between gym training and nutrition, helping clients make food choices that aligned with their fitness goals. The subscription pricing targeted Kigali’s small but growing middle class, while premium packages catered to clients seeking one-on-one coaching and exclusive recipes.

Competition in the space was minimal, but awareness was a challenge. Many people were only starting to link diet with fitness results, so part of the work was education—running social media campaigns, partnering with gyms, and hosting small pop-ups where people could sample healthy meals.

Rwanda’s supportive environment for startups, combined with lower operational costs than bigger African markets, gave him room to experiment.

However, like the restaurant business, the economics weren’t quite right, so he also shuttered his fitness business. While he’s no longer actively building a business, he gained useful experiences which he now applies to his role heading operations at WeTalkSound.

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Applying lessons to music and design

WeTalkSound is a full-stack creative agency that blends technology and design to help artists tell their stories. The company produces documentaries, music videos, branded content, and more, and has even ventured into fashion and live event concepts.

Dunsin’s experience running the restaurant—organising events, crafting brand experiences, and finding ways to stand out—feeds into the work he does now, especially in activation campaigns for artists.

Music has always been central to Dunsin’s interests. Back in university, he fondly remembers designing album cover arts for his artist friends in school. Today, that carried passion has led him to the work he now does at the agency.

One of his biggest projects, he recalls, came in 2023, when he worked as the creative director for the ATSG project by Nigerian rapper Reminisce. He described it as a fitting touch for his robust portfolio encompassing years of design and tech creative work.

“It was one of those moments when the gap between what you dream about and what’s in front of you closes,” said Dunsin.

The satisfaction he felt that day mirrors the feeling that has stayed with him through each twist in his career. Running an independent design studio; mixing cocktails behind a bar; opening a restaurant in Kigali; building a fitness service; and now, leading creative projects for artists.

Food remains close to his heart, and he admits there is a part of him that would like to return to the industry someday. For now, the work is in music, design, and storytelling.

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