Pretoria – South Africa and Kenya are deepening trade, investment and industrial cooperation as the two countries position themselves to drive Africa’s economic transformation.
Speaking at the South Africa-Kenya Business Forum in Midrand, Johannesburg, on Thursday, Presidents Cyril Ramaphosa and William Ruto called for stronger collaboration between the continent’s leading economies, saying Africa’s future growth depends on integrated value chains, infrastructure development and increased intra-African trade.
Ramaphosa said Kenya remains one of South Africa’s largest trading partners on the continent outside the Southern African Development Community, with bilateral trade continuing to show solid growth. 
“Since 2022, total trade between South Africa and Kenya has grown by an average of 3.5% a year,” he said.
He noted that South Africa continues to import products, services, technology and skills from Kenya, while investment flows between the two countries have strengthened. Kenyan companies have invested in 11 projects in South Africa worth $283 million, while South African companies have invested in 96 projects in Kenya valued at more than $2 billion.
Beyond private sector investment, South Africa’s development finance institutions have also played a significant role in supporting Kenya’s growth.
“The Development Bank of Southern Africa was one of the funders of a 350km pipeline replacing the Mombasa-to-Nairobi petroleum and crude oil products line. Our development finance institutions are keen to do more to fund catalytic infrastructure in Kenya,” Ramaphosa said.
He said the Business Forum had brought into focus the significant untapped potential in both economies as they pursue structural reform, industrialisation and diversification.
“By unlocking this potential, we can advance inclusive growth, meaningful employment and shared prosperity,” he said.
Ramaphosa welcomed discussions on financing infrastructure and strengthening regional value chains, saying investment should be accompanied by technology transfer and skills development to create sustainable jobs and build local capacity.
He also pointed to proposals aimed at strengthening food security, including the use of technology for climate-smart agriculture and improved livestock management to combat Foot and Mouth Disease.
“We are facilitating trade through enabling physical and digital infrastructure,” he said.
Among the initiatives under consideration is funding for the Kenya Roads Board Securitisation Programme, which aims to support transport infrastructure development. The two countries are also updating information and communications technology agreements to keep pace with advances in industrial innovation, technology transfer, digital trade and artificial intelligence.
“These are a few examples of how we are closing infrastructure gaps, lowering costs and keeping our products and services competitive against imports from outside the continent,” Ramaphosa said.
Ruto said the two countries have the combined economic strength needed to drive Africa’s transformation.
“Kenya and South Africa stand among our continent’s foremost economic anchors,” he said.
He described South Africa as one of Africa’s leading industrial and financial powerhouses, while Kenya serves as a gateway to East and Central Africa through its dynamic private sector, expanding digital innovation ecosystem and strategic infrastructure.
Ruto noted that the partnership between the two countries continues to grow across trade, investment, tourism, aviation, financial services, manufacturing, ICT and logistics.
“Today, more than 60 South African companies operate in Kenya in banking, insurance, retail, manufacturing, telecommunications, infrastructure and real estate,” he said.
The Kenyan president said the African Continental Free Trade Area presents one of the greatest opportunities for economic growth on the continent by creating a single competitive market capable of attracting investment, creating jobs and accelerating industrialisation.
“We must move beyond conventional trade and deliberately build integrated regional value chains in manufacturing, agriculture, mining, logistics, pharmaceuticals, energy, digital services and green industrialisation,” he said.
Ruto commended cooperation through the Joint Commission for Cooperation and the Joint Trade Committee, saying their outcomes must now be fully implemented to deliver tangible benefits for businesses and investors.
He pointed to opportunities for collaboration in automotive manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, mining, chemicals and steel, sectors where South Africa’s industrial strengths complement Kenya’s emergence as a regional production and logistics hub.
On agriculture, Ruto called for greater investment in agro-processing, irrigation, cold-chain logistics and supply chains that connect African producers to African markets.
“Africa cannot keep spending billions importing food while our own farmers and agro-industries stand ready to feed the continent,” he said.
