The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is expanding its digital trade network in East Africa through a partnership with the East African Business Council, giving businesses access to buyers, suppliers, finance and payment services across the region and the wider African market.
Afreximbank and EABC signed the Africa Trade Gateway Agency Agreement at the inaugural East Africa CEO & Investment Forum in Nairobi, connecting enterprises including small and medium-sized businesses and major exporters to the 300-million-strong East African Community Common Market and the broader African Continental Free Trade Area market of about 1.3 billion consumers.
The agreement strengthens EABC’s role as a trade corridor partner for Afreximbank’s Africa Trade Gateway, combining the business council’s regional network with the bank’s digital trade infrastructure.
The partnership is designed to help companies identify verified buyers and suppliers, obtain information on potential trading partners and connect with financial and payment solutions needed to complete cross-border transactions.
For smaller businesses in particular, access to verified counterparties and trade finance can reduce some of the barriers associated with entering unfamiliar markets.
“Trade is built on connections, but for many businesses, identifying trusted partners and accessing the right services to trade across borders can be a significant challenge,” Haytham El Maayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank at Afreximbank, said.
“The Africa Trade Gateway is designed to bridge that gap by connecting businesses with trusted buyers, suppliers, financial institutions and the services they need to turn opportunities into real transactions,” he said.
EABC has been promoting the digital ecosystem among its members and supporting their onboarding to the platform.
Ahmed Farah, CEO of EABC, said the organisation is helping East African enterprises understand AfCFTA market opportunities, including rules of origin, tariff concessions, customs procedures and export requirements.
“EABC is empowering East African enterprises with knowledge on AfCFTA market opportunities, Rules of Origin, tariff concessions, customs procedures and export requirements, complemented by tailored advisory support on market entry and export readiness,” Farah said.
“As a trade corridor partner for the Afreximbank Africa Trade Gateway (ATG), EABC is connecting enterprises to the ecosystem, enabling access to business-to-business matchmaking and trade finance solutions that can facilitate intra-African trade under the AfCFTA,” he said.
Digital infrastructure for African trade
The agreement comes as African financial institutions and business organisations seek to reduce the practical barriers that continue to constrain intra-African commerce despite the creation of the AfCFTA.
The Africa Trade Gateway is Afreximbank’s flagship digital trade ecosystem, bringing together businesses, financial institutions and trade partners through a single platform.
The system provides access to services including trade finance, payments, compliance, logistics and market intelligence, alongside connections to potential commercial counterparties.
Launched in June 2023, ATG now operates in more than 45 African countries and connects 45 trade-supporting institutions, 110 commercial banks and 25,000 verified companies, according to Afreximbank.
The platform has an opportunity pipeline valued at about $4.5 billion, spanning commodities, minerals, oil and gas, fast-moving consumer goods and other African-made products.
The expansion of EABC’s participation gives East African companies another channel to access that network while strengthening links between regional markets and the broader AfCFTA trading system.
Afreximbank said the objective is to consolidate services businesses require to execute cross-border transactions, allowing companies to trade with greater confidence, efficiency and scale.
The agreement also adds the EABC to a growing network of trade-supporting institutions working with Afreximbank to connect companies with commercial opportunities beyond their immediate regional markets.
For East African exporters, the combination of regional business networks and digital trade infrastructure could provide a more direct route into new African markets as implementation of the AfCFTA advances.
