Equity Group’s trade mission unites global investors with East Africa’s promise

May 25, 2025 in Business, Companies, Investment by Editor

News Analysis |

When more than 50 global investors boarded flights to East Africa earlier this month, their destination wasn’t just Dar es Salaam or Kampala—it was opportunity. In the cities and corridors of Tanzania and Uganda, they came searching for partnerships, for markets, and for momentum in a region rapidly awakening to its own potential.

This was no ordinary business trip. It was the opening act of Equity Group’s 2025 regional Trade and Investment Mission—an ambitious multi-city initiative spanning Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar, and Kampala, with upcoming stops planned in Kinshasa, Kigali, and Nairobi. Designed to promote cross-border trade and investment, the mission forms part of the Group’s bold Africa Recovery and Resilience Plan (ARRP), a blueprint for economic transformation in the post-pandemic era.

Organized in collaboration with Equity Bank Tanzania and Equity Bank Uganda, the mission attracted a diverse pool of delegates: private equity firms, development partners, institutional investors, and entrepreneurs hailing from Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and Africa itself.

“This mission is a strategic effort to unlock the enormous potential that exists in Tanzania and Uganda by connecting global capital to local opportunities,” said Dr. James Mwangi, Managing Director and CEO of Equity Group. “Our goal is to catalyse investment and trade that delivers lasting impact by creating jobs, enhancing value chains, and driving inclusive economic growth.”

In Tanzania, the mission spotlighted key sectors—agro-processing, tourism, renewable energy, mining, and ICT. Delegates explored prospects in Zanzibar’s blue economy, along with green energy and real estate development in Dar es Salaam. The program included high-level meetings with government officials and site visits with local entrepreneurs, reflecting Tanzania’s commitment to attracting responsible investment.

Zanzibar’s ocean economy, in particular, drew keen interest. Investors toured fisheries projects, renewable energy sites, and tourism developments—an affirmation of the island’s rising profile as a hub for sustainable economic growth.

Across the border in Uganda, the focus shifted to value addition, manufacturing, and technology. Kampala played host to vibrant dialogues around dairy processing, pharmaceuticals, textiles, mining, and agri-tech innovation.

“Uganda is emerging as a dynamic investment destination,” said Equity Bank Uganda Managing Director Gift Shoko. “This mission highlights the tangible opportunities that exist in creating value locally for regional and global markets.”

The trade mission is part of a larger Equity-led legacy of convening investors and unlocking value across Africa. Previous missions—ranging from the Kenya-DRC initiative to engagements with India, Belgium, Singapore, and the United States—have seeded billions of dollars in trade and investment flows, fostered new partnerships, and helped actualize the ambitions of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Through its ARRP, Equity Group is redirecting liquidity equivalent to 2pc of the region’s GDP toward the private sector. The focus is on four critical value chains: agriculture, manufacturing, MSMEs, and infrastructure. The plan targets reaching 100 million Africans and creating up to 50 million jobs by 2030.

“This mission demonstrates the region’s readiness to work with the private sector to attract investment, boost industrialization, and build resilient economies,” said a representative from Uganda’s Private Sector Foundation (PSFU).

As the mission wrapped up in Kampala, one thing was evident. While the appetite for investment in East Africa is growing, so too is the need for clarity, consistency, and commitment from local institutions and governments. While global investors are showing up, what they find on the ground—policy uncertainty, infrastructure gaps, or bureaucratic red tape—can still make or break deals.

The Equity-led trade mission may open doors, but it is up to the region’s leadership and business community to ensure that these doors stay open. Without real reforms and a stronger focus on execution, the bold promises of investment missions risk fading into well-intentioned headlines.

East Africa’s potential is undeniable—but turning that potential into progress will require more than goodwill and panel discussions. It will demand follow-through, local accountability, and a level playing field where opportunity isn’t reserved for a few, but extended to the many.