Afreximbank and EABC Open $4.5 Billion Trade Pipeline to East African SMEs and Exporters

The African Export-Import Bank and the East African Business Council have signed an Africa Trade Gateway Agency Agreement, linking East African enterprises to verified buyers, suppliers and trade finance across the continent.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the East African Business Council (EABC) have signed the Africa Trade Gateway (ATG) Agency Agreement, connecting East African enterprises, including SMEs and major exporters, to the 300 million strong East African Community (EAC) Common Market and the wider African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) market of 1.3 billion consumers through digital trade.

The agreement was signed at the inaugural East Africa CEO and Investment Forum in Nairobi, Kenya, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing collaboration between the two organisations.

Under the partnership, EABC's regional business network will be combined with ATG's digital trade services to help businesses find verified buyers and suppliers across Africa and beyond, access information on trading partners and connect with finance and payment solutions.

The EABC, which has been actively promoting the platform to its members and supporting their onboarding, now joins a growing network of trade-supporting institutions across Africa working to connect businesses with opportunities beyond their regional markets.

Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank at Afreximbank, Haytham El Maayergi, said the platform was built to close a long-standing gap for businesses trading across borders.

"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. 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.

"As more businesses successfully connect and trade, the network becomes stronger, creating a virtuous cycle of opportunity and growth across the continent," El Maayergi added.

Chief Executive Officer of the East African Business Council, Ahmed Farah, highlighted the council's role in preparing businesses to take advantage of the AfCFTA.

"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," he 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," Farah added.

The Africa Trade Gateway is Afreximbank's flagship digital trade ecosystem, linking businesses to trusted counterparties and trade-enabling services, including trade finance, payments, compliance, logistics and market intelligence, from a single integrated platform.

Launched in June 2023, ATG now operates in more than 45 African countries, connecting 45 trade-supporting institutions, 110 commercial banks and 25,000 verified companies, with an opportunity pipeline of $4.5 billion across commodities, minerals, oil and gas, FMCG and other African-made products.

The agreement comes as trade within East Africa gains momentum. According to the EABC's East Africa Trade and Investment Climate Report 2026, intra-EAC trade rose 28.2% year-on-year to $19.54 billion in 2025, representing 12.5% of the region's total trade of $156.6 billion.

Looking ahead, the partnership is expected to help more East African businesses expand across borders and capitalise on the opportunities created by the AfCFTA, positioning digital trade as a central pillar of intra-African commerce.