Equity Group Holdings has sealed a deal with the International Trade Centre (ITC) to boost trade, exports and value addition in East Africa by supporting businesses in the coffee, leather and creative industries.
The agreement combines ITC’s trade development expertise with Equity Group’s regional banking network and Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan, targeting sectors seen as key drivers of jobs, foreign exchange earnings and industrial growth.
“We know that access to finance is critical for small businesses, but it has to be matched with the right skills to use it effectively,” said ITC Executive Director Pamela Coke-Hamilton.
Coke-Hamilton says the partnership would help enterprises move up the value chain and compete in international markets.
Equity Group Chief Executive James Mwangi said the initiative would connect entrepreneurs and producers to regional and global markets through a combination of financing, trade intelligence, capacity building and market linkages.
“By combining access to finance, trade intelligence, capacity building and market linkages, we are building an ecosystem that enables MSMEs in coffee, leather and the creative economy to scale sustainably and compete globally. Our ambition is to ensure that MSMEs are not merely participants in trade, but competitive actors capable of shaping global markets through quality, scale and innovation,” said Mwangi.
The programme will initially be rolled out in Kenya through a pilot phase running until the end of 2026 before expanding to other East African markets, including countries where Equity operates banking subsidiaries.
In coffee, the two institutions will provide training on export logistics, price risk management and specialty coffee production, while also helping exporters comply with the European Union Deforestation Regulation, which affects coffee and leather shipments entering the bloc.
The partnership will also support value addition in the leather sector and provide business development services and financing support to creative industries, as policymakers and development agencies increasingly look to MSMEs as engines of economic growth across Africa.
