Kenya has a range of value chains in floriculture, textiles, leather, automotive production, intermediate and final manufacturing, music industry and tourism. It is evident that the country is generally at the low end of the value chain, given that a large component of Kenya’s exports is in raw materials (e.g. coffee, tea, animal products) which have low foreign value added content. For example, though Kenya has been integrated in.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 29th January 2015

 Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Kenya have increased their productivity and are delivering goods to customers more quickly after introducing the Lean methodology into their processes. Through a series of three workshops, most recently held on 20-21 January in Nairobi, the chief executive officers and managers of Greenforest Foods, Mace Foods, and Stawi Foods and Fruits learned to analyse their production and delivery.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 29th January 2015

 The sub-Saharan Africa market performance report, however, shows sub-Saharan Africa equity market performance was mixed, with Rwanda Securities Exchange declining by 4.5 per cent over the reporting period. The worst performers in local currency terms were Zimbabwe where the market lost 19.5 per cent and Nigeria which lost 16.1 per cent of its value in the year. In dollar terms, however, most markets had negative returns. Performers with.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 27th January 2015

 Developing industrial and infrastructure projects is not just a technical task, but involves a full range of elements to develop a sustainable business model. This business model takes into account ownership structure, communities, understanding requirements for funding, capacity, technology, financial models, environmental and market analysis, etc. Project developers, and their stakeholders, regularly find a heavier burden to bring all.... Read more »

Posted on : Tuesday , 27th January 2015

 Gauteng will focus on manufacturing to revive its industrialisation. "While the orientation of the economy has shifted towards business and finance services, manufacturing still forms the cornerstone of the province's plans to fight unemployment, poverty and inequality," Gauteng MEC for Economic Development, Environment, Agriculture and Rural Development Lebogang Maile said. He was addressing the Gauteng Industrialisation Forum.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 26th January 2015

 Turkey’s moves to gain more influence in African trade are “at the point of no return” and “should go on” despite the presence of giant competitors on the continent. This was the view of economic analysts speaking ahead of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s 12-country African visit starting this week. Erdoğan will begin his first visit of 2015 by visiting two East African states, Ethiopia and.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 26th January 2015

 The government will next month sign free trade agreement with the Middle East Kingdom of Jordan that would enable smooth movement of goods and services from both countries.   Speaking to this paper in a telephone interview the Vice Chairman of Tanzania Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture (TCCIA), Dar es Salaam Region, Vicent Minja said the signing is a result of the recent visit made by the chamber in.... Read more »

Posted on : Monday , 26th January 2015

 Norwegian paint maker, Jotun, has announced a Shs250million investment in Kenya as it strives to increase its market presence and grow its business in the country and East Africa region. The funds are already being invested in setting up regional offices in Nairobi, a warehouse and recruiting and development of its workforce. The paint makers is also currently employing staff in sales, marketing, financial control and supply chain. The.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 23rd January 2015

 China and Kenya have agreed to extend their ‘industrialisation partnership’ with a new focus on technology transfer and more Chinese involvement in infrastructure development.21 Jan 2015 The agreement came as China’s foreign minister Wang Yi visited Kenya’s capital Nairobi as part of a tour of African nations aimed at bolstering commercial ties with the region. A statement released by the office of Kenyan.... Read more »

Posted on : Friday , 23rd January 2015

 The Netherlands Trust Fund III (NTF III) Export Sector Competitiveness Programme, a three-year, multi-phase Dutch-backed project with the International Trade Centre (ITC), has completed the company selection process for the projects in Kenya and Uganda. 33 Kenyan and 30 Ugandan companies were chosen based on a criteria that focused on their perceived ability to benefit from the NTFIII training and advisory services. Relevant criteria.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 22nd January 2015

 Today Kenya is ranked as a middle income country with a Gross Domestic Product in excess of US$50 billion becoming the fourth largest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa behind Nigeria, South Africa and Angola. These three countries have massive natural resources. Kenya is joining this league with several oil and natural gas drills yielding fruits. Kenya is on the global map as a favourable investment destination in Africa. The just concluded.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 22nd January 2015

 THE good investment environment in Tanzania has enabled the country to take the lead in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the East African Region by USD1.1 billion (1.76 trillion/-) in 2012. And President Jakaya Kikwete has reiterated the country's commitment to attract more investors by offering a peaceful and stable environment for business and investments. In a speech read on his behalf by the Minister for Finance, Ms.... Read more »

Posted on : Thursday , 22nd January 2015