Leveraging the East African Opportunity Amidst Mounting Uncertainty

14 Jun

East Africa has not been spared the double shock of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In the wake mounting pressure on prices of key commodities, notably fertiliser, wheat and oil, the region faces the risk of stagflation, undermining its recovery from the pandemic with the AfDB’s growth forecast revised down from 7% in 2021 to 4.1% in 2022. Against this turbulent global backdrop, countries in the region are grappling with their own challenges with limited fiscal space to mitigate negative economic impacts. Kenya’s upcoming elections cast doubts over the country’s future while ongoing conflict in Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa undermines peace and stability in the region.

Despite this elevated risk landscape, East Africa is home to some of the fastest growing economies in Sub-Saharan Africa. With its highly diversified economy, Kenya continues to play a leading role in the region despite facing uncertain political and economic headwinds. Tanzania meanwhile presents an exciting prospect for investors with its renewed openness to the private sector and attractive opportunities in energy, agriculture and tourism. With the addition of DRC, the East African Community now boasts a market of 300 million people and continued integration with investment in flagship regional infrastructure projects could unlock the full potential of the East African market.

Our panel of experts will offer their advice on leveraging opportunities in East Africa, highlight the markets to watch and share their outlook for the region as it navigates national, regional and global challenges.

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