Browsing: East Africa

• BCG report shows approximately 130 transnational projects across energy, transport, digital, and water sectors can be rapidly accelerated through innovative coordination and strategic private sector partnership, with the potential to unlock up to $6 billion in GDP value for every $1 billion invested.
• A key example of Kenya’s infrastructure leadership is its role in the development and modernisation of the Northern Corridor, the primary trade artery connecting the Port of Mombasa to landlocked countries across East and Central Africa.

The legacy view that Africa’s infrastructure ambitions have been crumbling under the weight of systemic execution failures is true, however, according to the Bridging Africa’s Infrastructure execution gap report by Boston Consulting Group (BCG) this is set to change.

It reveals how the continent’s portfolio of approximately 130 transnational projects across energy, transport, digital, and water sectors can be rapidly accelerated through innovative coordination and strategic private sector partnership, with the …

• Two-day Stanbic East Africa Business Summit will explore how deeper regional integration, infrastructure development, financial innovation, and cross-border collaboration can accelerate sustainable growth.
• During the summit delegates will exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and shape a shared vision for an integrated, resilient, and prosperous East Africa.
• Agenda also features panel discussions and keynotes on cross-border trade, infrastructure, climate resilience, private capital flows, and unlocking East Africa’s demographic dividend.

Over 400 business leaders, policymakers, investors, and regional integration experts are gathered in Kampala for the third edition of the Stanbic East Africa Business Summit, a premier platform focused on unlocking East Africa’s full economic potential through trade, investment, and collaboration.

Held under the theme “Connected & Resilient: Scaling East Africa’s Regional Advantage,” the two-day summit, hosted by Stanbic Bank Uganda and the Standard Bank Group, will explore how deeper regional integration, infrastructure development, financial innovation, and cross-border collaboration can accelerate sustainable …

• The Red Sea crisis and now the US trade tariffs remain a major concern across economies in Africa.
• Kenya and other countries such as Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea were among those heavily impacted at the start of the Russia-Ukraine war, which significantly affected global grain supply.
• Nairobi has traditionally relied heavily on wheat imports from Ukraine and Russia, sourcing over 80% of wheat. Other major sources for the grain are Argentina and the US.

Poor countries have been urged to seek alternative logistics corridors and diversify trade in the wake of continued global disruptions, amid a rise in both tariff and non-tariff barriers with the negative impact of Trump tariffs coursing through economies.

The East African region is among those that have been negatively impacted in recent years, spanning from the Russia-Ukraine war to the Red Sea crisis, which started in October 2023.

Global logistics leaders have now added the …

• The 8-member bloc will showcase its diverse attractions under the brand “Visit East Africa: Feel the Vibe” during the March 4-6 trade fair in Berlin, Germany.
• EAC aims to attract international tourists and investors by highlighting the region’s rich cultural heritage, natural beauty, and unique attractions.
• The EAC stand at ITB will also provide an opportunity to member countries to showcase their offerings and further penetrate the international market.

Stakeholders in East Africa’s tourism industry have joined forces to make the East African Community (EAC) the word’s next travel and hospitality hotspot during the March 4th-6th, 2025, International Tourism Bourse (ITB) in Berlin, Germany.

In a statement released on Wednesday, the EAC said it will, for the first time, participate in the global expo as a single entity in the world’s largest tourism trade fair.

According to the EAC Secretary General Veronica Nduva, the bloc will showcase its diverse attractions …

• With its vast rivers and elevated terrains, Ethiopia is one of Africa’s most hydropower-rich nations.
• According to the International Hydropower Association, Ethiopia’s untapped rivers could generate up to 45,000 MW of electricity.
• However, While Ethiopia could evolve into a regional ticket to energy independence, some nations like Egypt and Sudan have expressed concerns over water access and environmental impact.

Ethiopia has long harboured dreams of becoming a renewable energy powerhouse. With its vast rivers and elevated terrains, it is one of Africa’s most hydropower-rich nations.

And as global pressure mounts to curb fossil fuel dependency, the country’s hydropower ambitions offer a glimpse into a future where East Africa’s energy needs could be sustainably met.

With expanding projects such as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and various regional power-sharing agreements underway, Ethiopia is moving beyond its borders, positioning itself as a critical player in East Africa’s renewable energy push.

The

• Key reforms ranging from privatisation initiatives in Kenya to financial liberalisation in Ethiopia, are positioning East Africa as a prime destination for PE investment.
• In Uganda, upcoming oil production in 2025 is expected to increase PE activity, particularly in sectors and businesses that will benefit indirectly from the oil industry.
• Tanzania’s one stop facilitation centre introduced in 2023 seeks to streamline the investment process by integrating key authorities that issue permits and approvals.

East Africa is experiencing a surge in private equity (PE) interest, driven by a wave of government reforms that are reshaping the financial industry. Kevin Kimotho, East Africa Private Equity Leader at Deloitte Africa, has highlighted these developments in the firm’s latest Deloitte Africa Private Equity Confidence Survey 2024.

These reforms, ranging from privatisation initiatives in Kenya to financial liberalisation in Ethiopia are positioning East Africa as a prime destination for PE investment.

Currently, Kenya continues …

• • The transaction marks the successful outcome of BII and I&M’s equity partnership for over 7 years as AfricInvest takes over.
  • The institution said that the sale to a like-minded investor is one of the most significant transactions in East Africa in recent years and represents a vote of confidence in the region’s financial services sector.
  • It is listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange, and the Rwandan subsidiary I&M Bank Rwanda PLC is listed on the Rwanda Stock Exchange.

  British International Investment (‘BII’)

• British International Investment (‘BII’), the UK’s development finance institution and impact investor, has sold its 10.1 per cent stake in I&M Group PLC, the Eastern African banking group, to AfricInvest, a leading Pan-African Asset Management platform.

  The acquisition was made through East Africa Growth Holding, a special-purpose vehicle owned by AfricInvest.

• I&M Group PLC is a leading banking group in Eastern Africa with a presence in Kenya,

• East Africa’s economic growth is projected to grow at 5.3 and 5.8 per cent in 2024 and 2025-26, respectively. 
• The World Bank projects African economies to grow by 3.4 per cent in 2024.
• However, faster and more equitable growth is needed to reduce poverty.

East Africa’s economic growth to lead the continent

Economies in East Africa are expected to spearhead growth in Sub-Saharan Africa this year amid increased private consumption and declining inflation, which are supporting an economic rebound in the region.

The World Bank’s latest Africa’s Pulse report indicates the East African Community is projected to grow at the fastest pace at 5.3 and 5.8 per cent in 2024 and 2025–2026, respectively, thanks to robust growth in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

This is higher than the compounded growth for Sub-Sahara Africa, which, albeit rebounding from a low of 2.6 per cent in 2023, is …

• In the past two years, short-term rentals in Nairobi have been the new trend.
• Hospitality has bounced back remarkably after the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging as one of the best-performing asset classes in 2023.
• Trappler highlights that hospitality is a key economic driver, employment creator, and focal property type in regions throughout East Africa.

Hospitality has bounced back remarkably after the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, emerging as one of the best-performing asset classes in 2023. This resurgence is particularly notable in Nairobi, especially with the renewed demand for short-term rentals.

The strategic position of Kenya’s capital city serves as an East African hub for various industries, including corporate, government, MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions), embassies, and tourism, which makes it an attractive destination for hospitality and residence brands.

The increasing and diversifying demand for accommodation creates meaningful opportunities for market expansion and business growth.…