The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and the East African Business Council (EABC) have partnered to expand trade access for African small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The partnership, signed in Nairobi during the inaugural East Africa CEO & Investment Forum, positions EABC as an onboarding agent for Afreximbank's Africa Trade Gateway (ATG) platform. This platform connects businesses with verified trading partners and trade-support services through a digital marketplace.
The East African Community's Common Market serves a population of roughly 300 million, while the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) brings together a continental market of about 1.3 billion people. However, intra-African trade accounts for only about 16 per cent of Africa's total trade. Within the EAC, intra-regional trade accounts for roughly 15 per cent of the bloc's total trade, despite growing by 27 per cent between June 2024 and June 2025.
The ATG platform was designed to bridge the gap between market access and business connections. Since its launch in June 2023, the platform has expanded across more than 45 African countries, connecting 45 trade-supporting institutions, 110 commercial banks, and 25,000 verified companies. Its reported pipeline of potential trade opportunities is valued at about US$4.5 billion. The platform provides a digital marketplace for businesses to connect with verified counterparties and services covering trade finance, payments, compliance, logistics, and market intelligence.
The partnership between Afreximbank and EABC is particularly relevant for smaller firms, which often lack the resources to navigate the practical requirements of entering new African markets. EABC's regional network can help businesses navigate AfCFTA opportunities, rules of origin, tariff concessions, customs procedures, and export requirements. This guidance can be decisive for smaller firms looking to export for the first time.
Large corporations often have the resources to maintain offices in several countries, employ legal and compliance teams, and establish relationships with banks and logistics providers. Smaller companies, however, rarely have the same advantages. The ATG platform could reduce some of the search and coordination costs that have historically made cross-border commerce more difficult for smaller enterprises.
Access to finance remains a critical piece of the equation for SMEs. A connection to a bank does not automatically translate into affordable credit. Many SMEs still struggle with limited collateral, short credit histories, weak financial records, or insufficient documentation. Afreximbank's wider digital ecosystem, including platforms such as the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) and MANSA, is designed to address different parts of the same problem.
The success of the ATG platform should ultimately be judged by the transactions that follow, including the number of SMEs that secure new buyers, the amount of finance disbursed, and the number of potential opportunities that become completed exports. The partnership between Afreximbank and EABC offers a practical bridge between the promise of African integration and the realities of doing business across borders for East African SMEs.
Key points
- The partnership between Afreximbank and EABC aims to expand trade access for African SMEs through the Africa Trade Gateway platform.
- The ATG platform connects businesses with verified trading partners and trade-support services through a digital marketplace.
- The partnership seeks to address the challenges faced by SMEs in accessing finance and navigating the practical requirements of entering new African markets.
