Connect with us

News

Ruto urges African businesses to prioritise intra-Africa trade at Kenya-South Africa Business Forum

Published

on

MIDRAND, South Africa, Jun 5 — President William Ruto has challenged African businesses and entrepreneurs to stop looking overseas for markets and begin trading more aggressively in Africa.

The President noted that Africa’s market is increasingly becoming the next biggest frontier for trade and investment, and innovation in the world.

Addressing a joint Kenya-South Africa Business Forum in Midrand, Johannesburg on Thursday, alongside South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, President Ruto said the two nations, as “economic anchors” of Eastern and Southern Africa, must take the lead in building integrated value chains under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

He added: “Transformation begins here. Together, our two nations command the financial strength, industrial capacity, entrepreneurial talent, and innovation ecosystems to power Africa’s next chapter.”

Bilateral trade between Kenya and South Africa reached about $680 million in 2025, with President Ruto calling the result “meaningful progress, but also a measure of how much potential remains untapped”.

Kenya exports tea, coffee, horticulture, cut flowers and manufactured goods to South Africa and imports machinery, pharmaceuticals, vehicles, steel and industrial inputs.

More than 60 South African companies operate in Kenya across various sectors, including banking, insurance, retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, infrastructure, and real estate.

South Africa is one of Kenya’s leading sources of foreign direct investment even as Kenyan companies expand southwards.

President Ruto that complementarity between the two countries and businesses should translate into deeper industrial cooperation.

“Let us collaborate boldly in automotive assembly, mineral beneficiation, agro-processing, and green manufacturing,” he said.

The President pointed out that the AfCFTA is “among the greatest economic opportunities of our generation”, but noted that intra-African trade still lags far behind the global average.

He commended progress towards the convergence of COMESA, Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the East African Community (EAC) under the Tripartite Free Trade Area, and offered Kenya as host for this free trade area ecosystem to unlock a market of 800 million people, which feeds into the AfCFTA.

He also pushed for investment in agro-processing and logistics to cut Africa’s food import bill.

“Africa cannot keep spending billions importing food while our own farmers and agro-industries stand ready to feed the continent,” President Ruto noted.

He positioned Kenya as a hub for global business services, citing a young, English-speaking workforce, digital infrastructure and a time zone bridging Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

He invited South African and multinational companies to use Kenya as a regional base for Business Processing Outsourcing and technology services.

On infrastructure, President Ruto highlighted the Port of Mombasa and the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (LAPSSET) corridor in Eastern Africa, and the ports of Durban, Cape Town, Richards Bay and Ngqura as critical transport and logistical corridors.

In addition, he welcomed the partnership talks between Kenya Airways and South African Airways to boost trade, tourism and regional integration.

President Ruto also urged African financial institutions, pension funds and private equity to mobilise long-term capital for development in the continent, noting that Kenya’s new National Infrastructure Fund and Sovereign Wealth Fund were vehicles for patient investment in energy, housing, logistics and industry.

“Governments can build enabling environments, but it is the private sector that drives transformation,” he said. “I therefore urge business leaders to convert the opportunities of this forum into concrete investments, joint ventures, and lasting commercial partnerships.”

Kenya, he explained, is rolling out reforms to ease doing business, strengthen investor protection and deepen regional integration through its Investment One-Stop Centre.

On his part, President Ramaphosa expressed South Africa’s commitment to reducing import duties on Kenyan agricultural products, joking that “we need to bring in more Kenyan tea and have more South Africans drinking more Kenyan tea”.

He called for business fora in the future to be judged “in terms of rands and shillings” of the deals closed.

The forum was co-hosted by both Presidents on the second and last day of President Ruto’s State Visit to South Africa aimed at elevating Kenya-South Africa relations to a Strategic Partnership-Capitalfm.co.ke.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

National Assembly dismisses claims Sacco Bill is being rushed through Parliament

Published

on

The National Assembly has dismissed reports that the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is being rushed through Parliament, saying the proposed law is still undergoing public participation.

Through infographics shared on Facebook on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Parliament said misleading information had been circulating online about the Bill, formally known as the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 32 of 2025.

Bill was published in June 2025

The National Assembly said the Bill was published on June 30, 2025, and had remained under consideration for more than 12 months.

It rejected suggestions that lawmakers were fast-tracking the proposed amendments without allowing enough time for scrutiny.

According to Parliament, the lengthy period between the publication of the Bill and its current consideration shows that it is not being rushed.

Bill currently before the National Assembly committee

The Sacco Societies Amendment Bill is currently before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The committee is conducting public participation and receiving views from members of the public and other stakeholders.

The submissions are expected to help the committee assess the proposed amendments before presenting its recommendations to the National Assembly.

What happens after public participation?

After the public participation process is concluded, the committee will prepare a report containing its findings and recommendations.

Parliament said the views submitted by members of the public and stakeholders could inform further amendments to the Bill.

The proposed legislation will then proceed to the National Assembly for consideration by MPs.

This means the Bill has not yet completed the legislative process and could still be amended based on the submissions received during public participation.

Bill will be forwarded to Senate

The National Assembly also clarified that the Bill will not proceed directly for presidential assent after being passed by MPs.

Because the proposed legislation concerns county governments, it will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration in accordance with the Constitution.

The Senate will be required to consider the Bill before it can complete the parliamentary process and be presented for presidential assent.

Parliament urged members of the public to rely on verified information about the Sacco Societies Amendment Bill instead of unconfirmed reports circulating online-PeopleDaily.Digital.

Continue Reading

News

Digital house-hunting platform bets on technology to reshape Nairobi’s rental market

Published

on

NAIROBI, Kenya, July 14 – A growing shift towards digital property searches is changing how Kenyans find rental homes, with real estate technology platform Reemio positioning itself as a solution to longstanding challenges.

This included fraudulent listings, costly house searches and limited market transparency.

As younger, tech-savvy consumers turn to online platforms to make purchasing decisions, the company says digitizing the rental process could improve efficiency for both tenants and landlords while lowering transaction costs.

“Our niche is to solve the problem of house hunting and also bring trust into that process. We use technology to connect renters and landlords,” said Kimani.

Kimani said the platform seeks to address inefficiencies that have traditionally made house hunting expensive and time-consuming.

Instead of physically visiting multiple properties, users can browse verified listings, take virtual tours, compare amenities and access information on additional costs such as water charges, electricity bills and service fees before scheduling physical viewings.

Beyond improving convenience for tenants, Reemio argues that technology can help landlords reduce marketing costs, shorten vacancy periods and reach a wider pool of prospective tenants, including Kenyans living abroad.

The company says its platform also generates market data that can help property owners and developers better understand evolving consumer preferences, although its long-term impact will depend on wider adoption of digital property platforms and continued investment in trustworthy online real estate marketplaces-Capitalfm.co.ke.

Continue Reading

News

ORPP edges two parties closer to joining Kenya’s political arena

Published

on

The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has issued a notice for the provisional registration of two proposed political parties, opening a seven-day window for members of the public to lodge objections.

In a notice published by the Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the ORPP announced that the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) and the People’s Alternative Voice (PAV) are in the process of being provisionally registered under Section 5(2)(a) of the Political Parties Act.

The ORPP, a State office established under Section 33 of the Political Parties Act and Article 260 of the Constitution, said its mandate includes registering and regulating political parties as well as administering the Political Parties Fund.

According to the notice, the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) has adopted pink, white and sky blue as its official party colours, with the slogan “Change – Mageuzi.” The party’s symbol is the acronym SDP enclosed inside a circle.

The party’s listed founder members are Nyangong’ Duncan Nyumbah, Omwandasi Jared Dishon and Kinyua Mary Wacuka.

The founders of PAV are listed as Odenyo John Fitzgerald Elly, Nyando Rachel Mmboga and Ali Hussein Kiplangat.

The Registrar said particulars of the two proposed political parties have been published on the ORPP website to facilitate public scrutiny as required by law.

Any person wishing to oppose the provisional registration of either party has seven days from the date of publication of the notice to submit objections either in writing or in person to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Lion Place, Fourth Floor, Waiyaki Way at Karuna Close, Nairobi.

The provisional registration marks the first step in the legal process of establishing a political party in Kenya.

Kenya has 91 fully registered political parties. The ORPP’s updated register indicates that, as of January 2026, there were 91 parties that had met the legal requirements for full registration under the Political Parties Act-STAR.

Continue Reading

Trending