Joy DiBenedetto, the Group Director of Communications and Global Affairs for Equity Group Holdings and Dr James Mwangi, Equity Group CEO & Managing Director, listen in as the Rt Hon. the Lord Swire KCMG, Deputy Chairman, Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council speaks at the Kenya Trade & Investment Roadshow 2025 hosted by Equity Group at Radison Blue Hotel in Nairobi./HANDOUT
A trade and investment roadshow in Nairobi has brought together more than 300 investors, policymakers and business leaders from 35 countries to explore business opportunities in Kenya and the wider East African region.
The Kenya Trade and Investment Roadshow 2025 opened on Friday under the theme “Unlocking East Africa: Kenya’s role as the Engine of Regional Prosperity.” The event follows a similar mission held in Rwanda earlier in the month.
Equity Group CEO Dr James Mwangi told the gathering that East Africa was entering a period of long-term economic expansion. He said the region’s population structure and digital adoption were shaping its future market.
“Africa is on a journey of very rapid growth for a prolonged period,” he said. “More than 75% of our population is under 35. They are digital natives.”
Mwangi said the forum was meant to facilitate investment deals and encouraged participants to use private sessions to advance negotiations.
“Spend more time in the one-on-one meetings, not just having a cup of tea, but signing agreements,” he said. “And those agreements should not end with a handshake; I invite you to shake hands as you agree.”
He urged investors to consider Kenya as part of a wider regional market. “See Kenya as the hub of the East African Community, and see a population of 350 million people,” he said.
Mwangi said Equity Group had expanded its presence across East and Central Africa and now operated with support from international shareholders.
“We are systemic in six markets, and our influence will open doors for you,” he said. “The World Bank, through IFC, is our second-largest shareholder, and the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund, the largest on earth, is our largest shareholder.”
He said the bank’s partnerships with regional lenders positioned it to support investors where financing was required. “I cannot personally write the cheque to fund every investment proposal, but I have built formidable partnerships, from KCB, to Ecobank, to Standard Chartered, to Absa,” he said.
Mwangi added that Africa’s mineral deposits would play a central role in the global shift to renewable energy. “There will be no energy transition without strategic minerals,” he said. “Africa is over-endowed.”
Lord Swire, Deputy Chairman of the Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council, said Kenya’s economic performance reflected years of institutional development.
“Kenya and its growth never cease to amaze me,” he said. “The opportunities are enormous, and I am astonished by what this country has become.”
He noted that trade between Commonwealth countries carries a structural cost advantage. “It is cheaper for one Commonwealth company to do business with another, an audited advantage of 19%,” he said.
Aliou Maiga, Regional Industry Director for Africa’s Financial Institutions Group at the International Finance Corporation, said Africa needed leaders who were able to turn ideas into action.
“Africa needs people who think big and make things happen,” he said. “If we can create the right conditions and enable people to realise their potential, the future of this continent will be secured.”
Maiga said the World Bank Group’s work in Africa focused on supporting governments and institutions to build competitive economies. “As the World Bank, our mandate is to help develop economies by providing financial resources, technical expertise, and policy guidance to support sustainable development,” he said.
He described East Africa as an active centre for innovation. “East Africa is at the forefront of innovation, leading the way in technology, entrepreneurship, and creative solutions across Africa,” he said.
