Business updates

The 18th COMESA Business Forum, held on the margins of the 24th COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit, convened member states and private sector representatives under the theme “Leveraging Digitalisation to Deepen Regional Value Chains for Sustainable and Inclusive Growth” from Monday 6 to Thursday 9 October 2025 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Co-organised by the COMESA Secretariat, the Government of Kenya, the COMESA Business Council (CBC), and the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), the Forum highlighted COMESA’s economic significance as Africa’s largest regional bloc, representing 682 million people and a GDP exceeding USD 1 trillion. 

Discussions addressed strategic priorities including enhancing agricultural productivity through smart farming, digitalising trade facilitation, and improving logistics and transport infrastructure to unlock the region’s trade potential.

During the opening session, Her Excellency (H.E.) Prof. Kithure Kindiki, Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, underscored agriculture’s role as the region’s economic backbone and called for accelerated digital transformation to boost intra-African trade. 

H.E. Chileshe Mpundu Kapwepwe, Secretary General of COMESA, emphasised the community’s progress in trade facilitation and digital innovation, while Mr. James Chimwaza, President of the COMESA Business Council, reaffirmed CBC’s commitment to public–private dialogue for a competitive and inclusive regional market.

Key sessions explored the role of digitalisation in promoting investment, strengthening logistics, and facilitating business mobility. Recommendations from the forum were consolidated in the COMESA Business Declaration 2025, presented to the COMESA Heads of State and Government Summit.

A highlight of the week, the COMESA–EU Horticulture Connect, brought together European buyers and regional producers to strengthen export linkages in a sector generating over USD 3.3 billion annually in EU trade.

The 18th COMESA Business Forum Week reaffirmed the region’s shared commitment to harnessing digitalisation, strengthening regional value chains, and fostering inclusive, sustainable growth through enhanced cooperation between governments, the private sector, and development partners.