Today, 26 May, the fourth international Africa Business Forum took place in Tallinn, aiming to strengthen economic cooperation between Estonia and Africa and create new business opportunities.
“The rapid economic growth of African countries and their interest in our digital solutions make the development of Estonia–Africa economic relations highly promising over the coming decade. It is a pleasure to welcome more than 350 entrepreneurs and policymakers here today,” said Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
According to Vseviov, the next concrete step in developing these relations is the opening of Estonia’s embassy in Nairobi. “The embassy will serve as a bridge, helping support Estonian companies exporting to Africa and introducing Estonia to African businesses,” he added.
Estonia’s Ambassador to Kenya and South Africa, Daniel Schaer, stressed that this year’s business forum aims to further develop the relationships established in previous years and deliver concrete results.
“Estonian exports of goods and services to Africa have been growing in recent years and have now exceeded €700 million, but both we and the business community still see considerable potential for further growth in economic cooperation,” Schaer said.
In addition to Secretary General Vseviov, the first panel discussion featured Côte d’Ivoire’s Minister of Digital Transition and Innovation Djibril Ouattara, and was moderated by Evelyn Kaldoja, Head of Foreign News at Postimees. The event was hosted by Joel Karabiu, Enterprise Estonia’s export adviser in Kenya.
Throughout the day, a range of workshops and discussions took place focusing on adapting products and services to African markets, using environmental data to create sustainable solutions, implementing international projects, developing digital public infrastructure and conducting culturally aware business practices. Representatives of Estonian companies including Aktors, Bolt, Cybernetica, eAgronom and Yaga participated in various discussions.
Bolt co-founder Martin Villig shared the company’s experience, saying that entering African markets had been an important and enormously rewarding step for Bolt. He stressed that the key for companies considering expansion into Africa is finding the right combination of local understanding and partnerships with regulators.
“What made the difference was approaching each market on its own terms rather than through a European lens. Equally important was building genuine partnerships with regulators. For any company starting out in Africa, that relationship is not a hurdle to clear, but a foundation to build on,” Villig said.
The Africa Business Forum, organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, also included an embassy area where representatives from South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Ethiopia, Zambia, Ghana, Morocco, Uganda and Tanzania introduced local business opportunities. In addition to the embassies, the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) was also represented.
The event is financed through the European Union’s NextGenerationEU recovery instrument.
Gallery (Raigo Pajula): https://www.flickr.com/photos/estonian-foreign-ministry/albums/72177720333854066/
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