Global investors have been urged to look beyond conventional markets and explore the vast, largely untapped trade and investment opportunities in Kenya and the wider East African region.
The call came during the ongoing Kenya Trade & Investment Roadshow 2025.
It highlighted the region’s demographic dividend, abundant natural resources, and a growing private sector.
James Mwangi, Equity Group CEO and Managing Director, described the current global economic landscape as a “turning point,” noting the rising influence of private enterprises.
“For the first time, we see the private sector, particularly the listed companies, have a bigger market cap than the entire global GDP,” he said, emphasising the economic power wielded by private businesses.
He positioned Africa as the “continent of opportunities,” citing its youthful and rapidly growing population.
“One out of three by the turn of the century will be living in Africa,” Mwangi said, adding that by 2050, “two of every three working population will be a young person from Africa.”
This demographic shift, he noted, will not only provide a vast labour force but also a growing consumer market with rising disposable income.
Mwangi also highlighted Africa’s natural resources, including “65% of arable land” and “62% of all renewable energy potential.”
He urged investors to “make early decisions and take a position before it becomes too competitive,” stressing that a “transformed Africa is a sustainable world.”
He added that Equity Group’s role is to “facilitate you… to open doors for you,” encouraging partnerships and collaboration to address global challenges.
Echoing this perspective, James Nyabanda, Equity Bank Kenya Managing Director, welcomed delegates to “the home of Equity” and “the home of entrepreneurs,” emphasising Kenya’s role as a gateway to the East African market.
“Over the next couple of days, we are looking to take you on real roadshows to see opportunities that are available in Kenya,” he said.
Nyabanda underscored the bank’s platform for connecting local businesses with international investors and highlighted the scale of the East African market, which comprises “500 million individuals.”
He encouraged participants to seize “full advantage” of the platform, noting that the opportunities extend beyond Kenya to the region as a whole.
