The Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA) is seeking to sustain export volumes in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic through e-commerce.
The agency has said it is developing an online platform that will link Kenyan exporters to buyers across various global markets.
According to KEPROBA, the platform will list and market export products by manufacturers, farmers, traders, SMEs, marketing agencies, and international buyers who include importers, agents, retailers, and wholesalers.
“As the future of everything is digital, we want to leverage on technology to ensure that not even distance or time can hinder our exporters from transacting. We are thus creating an e-commerce platform that will literally offer a transactional handshake for online engagement, meetings and exhibitions,” said Dr. Wilfred Marube, KEPROBA chief executive.
In months of the year ending September 2020 exports grew Kshs. 30 billion from Kshs. 450 billion registered last year to hit Kshs. 480 billion according to data from the agency.
“This represented a 6.7% export growth despite the disruption occasioned by the emergence of COVID -19 and consequent measures to control its spread, confirming resilience of Kenya’s export sector,” said the agency.
The agency hopes the new platform will slim the balance of trade deficit through a targeted growth rate of 25% by the year 2022 as enshrined in the Integrated National Export Development and Promotion Strategy (INEDPS).
“In some markets, we shall go virtual, while in others we just need to provide an assurance that the key products are being delivered. COVID 19 has given us an opportunity to diversify our markets at a click,” said Dr. Marube.
