KENYA businesses
are exploring investment opportunities and partnerships in French oversees territory
of Mayotte, with a focus on agriculture, retail, logistics, construction sectors and circular
economy.
A circular economy is a production and consumption model involving sharing, leasing, reusing, repairing, refurbish ion and recycling existing materials and products.
About 10 Kenyan companies and operators are in the Indian Ocean archipelago found between Madagascar and the coast of Mozambique on a four-day business trip which started on May 28 to 31.
The Kenyan businesses have been invited by the Development and innovation Agency of Mayotte (ADIM), a public-sponsored agency dedicated to support the economic attractiveness of the territory, in collaboration with Business France, a French government-funded public firm that promotes France to foreign investors.
Also involved is the County of Mayotte, the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) and the French Chamber of Commerce in Kenya.
According
to the Embassy of France in Kenya, the move will enable the firms learn
more about Mayotte's economy and the business opportunities it offers, thanks to sectoral
presentation, site visits, business
to business meetings and a business forum.
“Mayotte, a French overseas territory and an outermost region of the European Union, occupies a unique position at the crossroads of East Africa and Europe. This territory has experienced a dynamic economic growth over the past decade and presents relevant opportunities for export of goods and services from Kenya,” the Embassy said in a statement yesterday.
Mayotte’s structural
reliance on imports, the recent liberalisation of its agricultural regulatory framework and the
implementation of the recent EU-Kenya Economic Partnership Agreement that came
into force in 2024,
opens up new
opportunities to Kenyan businesses for access to a nearby European market.
The Kenyan business delegation is led by KEPHIS (Kenya Plant Health Inspectorate Service), the government agency responsible for the certification, inspection and regulation of plant products.
It guarantees the phytosanitary quality of Kenya's agricultural exports and ensures compliance with international food safety and plant health standards.
Businesses include retail chain Naivas, Ngong Veg ( Kenyan company specialising in the production and export of fresh vegetables, particularly to European markets), Instaveg also a fresh vegetables exporters,Lapis Art which operates in the agri-food sector and Arriana Exports which deals in agricultural products, particularly tropical fruits, vegetables and spices.
Others are Masafi Fruits, a Kenyan company engaged in the cultivation, distribution and export of tropical fruits, fresh vegetables, fruit juices, preserves and frozen vegetables, Alpha Group–Kenyan conglomerate operating in maritime, logistics and industrial services with a strong presence in East Africa, Kenya Airways which operates the Nairobi-Dzaoudzi commercial route and Synergetic Development Group which specialized in providing integrated solutions for energy, infrastructure and engineering projects.
In seven years, Mayotte’s imports have doubled reaching 1.1 billion euros (Sh161.2 billion) in 2024, according to the French Embassy.
It also offers an exceptionally favorable environment for foreign investment, underpinned by strong financial support from both the French government and the European Union.
It qualifies for major European funding instruments such as the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF).
During the 2021-2027 programming period, Mayotte is set to receive over €420 million (Sh61.6 billion) in EU funding to support strategic sectors (infrastructure, energy, water management, agri-food, tourism, innovation, and ecological transition).
Additionally, national programmes and specific tax exemptions for overseas territories further enhance the attractiveness of the territory.
“This situation constitutes a mutually beneficial opportunity. Kenya can diversify and expand its exports while strengthening its presence in the Indian Ocean and Mayotte can diversify its supply sources and accelerate its regional integration. For Kenya, Mayotte thus represents a nearby European market, a local gateway to the EU within the Mozambique Channel,” the embassy said.
During the visit, the delegation will also have the opportunity to identify the sectors in which companies could mobilise to meet the reconstruction needs following cyclone Chido, which devastated the territory on December 14, 2024.
The visit follows a landmark agreement signed between ADIM Mayotte and KNCCI on November 25, 2024, in Nairobi, that paved the way for increased collaboration on specific trade and investment initiatives.
This mission, hence, is a concrete step towards the implementation of the agreement and the broadening ties between Kenya and France through Mayotte.
