JOHANNESBURG, June 4 (Xinhua) -- Kenya and South Africa seek to deepen bilateral investment, integrate regional value chains, and accelerate the African Continental Free Trade Area framework to unlock new continental growth, Kenyan President William Ruto said Thursday.
Speaking at the ongoing Kenya-South Africa Business Forum at Gallagher Estate in Johannesburg, Ruto called for tighter cooperation between Africa's leading economies. He emphasized that future expansion must rely on joint production, industrial partnerships and infrastructure development, rather than simple commerce.
"We have moved beyond what we can sell to each other and towards what we can build together," Ruto told business leaders and government officials.
The Kenyan president noted that bilateral trade has expanded by an average of 3.5 percent annually since the 2022 forum in Nairobi. Consequently, Kenya remains one of South Africa's largest trading partners outside the Southern African Development Community.
Ruto highlighted rising cross-border capital flows as a foundational pillar of this relationship. Kenyan firms have invested 283 million U.S. dollars across 11 projects in South Africa, while South African enterprises have launched 96 projects in Kenya valued at over 2 billion dollars.
The president also praised development finance institutions for anchoring strategic infrastructure. He noted that the Development Bank of Southern Africa helped finance a crucial 350-kilometer petroleum pipeline connecting the port city of Mombasa to Nairobi.
According to Ruto, both nations are exploring further financing models for catalytic infrastructure to lower logistics costs, improve regional connectivity, and boost market competitiveness.
He identified manufacturing, agriculture, finance, technology, and innovation as priority sectors. Specifically, partnerships in automotive manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, mining, and construction will drive continental industrialization.
Urging businesses to integrate supply chains rather than compete in isolation, the Kenyan president made a clear call to action: "Rather than working in isolation to protect our markets, let us integrate our supply and value chains."
He backed the creation of a South Africa-Kenya Business Council to streamline private-public dialogue and dismantle persistent non-tariff trade barriers.
Ruto also said that Africa's long-term wealth depends on converting policy commitments into tangible commercial partnerships and industrial investments.
"Through collaboration, South Africa and Kenya will not only develop our two nations but contribute to a more prosperous Africa," he said.
