Nine women-led Kenyan SMEs eye market expansion in UK trade mission

Nine women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are among 50 companies from Africa and Asia on a trade mission in Manchester, United Kingdom, to network and widen Kenyan products’ overseas market.

Interveg Exports EPZ, Karakuta Fresh Produce, Meru Herbs Kenya, Miyonga Fresh Greens Ent, Riziki Fresh, Saipei Foods, T&Co., Terrani Mokka and Trueways Enterprises made the cohort also drawing MSMEs from Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Nepal and Pakistan.

The trade mission from February 10 through 12 aimed to strengthen the U.K.’s manufacturing sector by providing British companies with reliable potential suppliers and reducing production costs.

British buyers looking to diversify their supply chains met women entrepreneurs working in the fresh and processed agrifood, handicrafts, textiles and apparel, handicrafts, beauty, information technology, and business process outsourcing sectors through business-to-business meetings.

Per a statement from the International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, the MSMEs visited U.K. companies relevant to their sectors and attended information sessions with sector-specific associations, standards bodies and partnering chambers of commerce to bolster their knowledge of trends, the business environment and UK market entry requirements.

Six of the ten participating delegations are from the global network of SheTrades Hubs, resource centres for women entrepreneurs that are co-owned by the International Trade Centre and host instructions.

They include Kenya (Absa Bank Kenya), Ghana (Ghana Export Promotion Authority), Bangladesh (Small and Medium Enterprise Foundation), Nigeria (Nigerian Export Promotion Council), Rwanda (Private Sector Federation – Specialized Cluster), and Mongolia (Mongolian National Chamber of Commerce and Industry).

“Women entrepreneurs across the world face greater challenges to export compared to their male counterparts, with fewer connections to buyer networks and limited access to key market information,” U.K. Minister for the Indo-Pacific, Catherine West, said.

“Our SheTrades Commonwealth+ programme aims to counter that – connecting women entrepreneurs from across Asia and Africa to British businesses, increasing choice for British consumers and supporting domestic growth. It’s a win-win.”

Pamela Coke-Hamilton, ITC’s Executive Director, added: “We’re laying the foundation for women entrepreneurs to meet directly with buyers, scale up their businesses and access new markets, benefiting from global trade opportunities.”

“This trade mission will enable collaboration and knowledge sharing to drive gender-inclusive economic growth, led by the women entrepreneurs – a priority we share with the U.K.,” she added.

The trade mission was organised by the U.K. Government-funded SheTrades Commonwealth+ Programme, in collaboration with the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce, and in partnership with the London Chamber of Commerce, Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, and West and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.