The future of mobility will be electric! This roundtable will explore two critical aspects of advancing e-mobility in Kenya: the development of the electric mobility policy and the potential of the transition to electric mobility to increase local value creation. The session will offer insights from Kenya’s experience in formulating its e-mobility policy, highlighting successes, challenges, and best practices that can guide future initiatives. Additionally, it will examine the feasibility of establishing local manufacturing and assembly hubs for electric vehicles, particularly two- and three-wheelers, in Kenya.

At GABS 2024, H2-diplo will be hosting a Green Hydrogen Leadership Roundtable under Chatham House Rules titled: ‘German-Kenyan discussion on Key Factors to Foster Private Sector Activities that will gather selected ministers, high-level executives, and policymakers to foster transformative thinking that will shape the future of the most critical challenges being faced by the industry. 12 invited contributors from Kenya and Germany drawn from the finance, governance, and private sectors will come together to discuss transformative approaches that will advance the development of hydrogen markets in Kenya, but also in a wider regional context. A particular focus will be on enabling further activities and projects by the private sector. 

Launch-event of the first-ever Partners in Transformation Desk - a dedicated point-of-contact for companies and private sector stakeholders interested in development cooperation programmes.

The Partners in Transformation - Business & Development Network serves as the new umbrella brand for all programmes of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) for cooperation with the private sector. The programmes that it unites work closely together and support countries of the Global South in their socio-ecological transformation. With our Partners in Transformation Desk we aim to make the programmes and their individual offers even more accessible to businesses in the region.

Learn how the Partners in Transformation Desk can support your initiatives and foster impactful collaborations in East Africa.

Join us as we explore how top German companies and young African talents are growing business, creating jobs and enhancing business relations between Germany and Africa. Listen to success stories and learn how AFRIKA KOMMT! creates a quadruple-win for African professionals, German companies, business relations, and Africa’s economic growth.

For governments around the globe and a growing number of consumers, the social and environmental sustainability of products is of central importance. This challenges companies to enforce even stricter oversight of their own, often globally interconnected, supply chains while also facilitating compliance with international standards by their suppliers. At the same time, this offers a major opportunity – both for the companies themselves and for the people in these countries. Through its funding programme develoPPP, Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) supports business initiatives that: make a measurable contribution to better working and living conditions for local employees in industry, agriculture and the service sector; foster the ecological transformation of production processes or cropping methods; or generally raise supply chain transparency and traceability. Using the examples of development partnership on German-African supply chain topics, our corporate partners speak about their first-hand experience.

Logistics plays a critical role in Africa's economic development, serving as a backbone for trade, industrial growth, and job creation, making it a vital area of focus for the region's future. This event is a unique opportunity to engage with experts and peers in shaping sustainable logistics solutions that unlock Africa's potential and strengthen global trade ties. Moderated by logistics experts Professor Frank  Straube, Berlin University of Technology and  Professor XN Iraki, University of Nairobi, the session features expert contributions from African logistics leaders and an interactive workshop to foster collaboration and innovation. Participants will also receive a detailed summary report capturing the session’s key outcomes

Burundi is poised for transformation as the country embraces digitalization, the move to greener mobility solutions and the transition to its vision as an emerging country in 2040 and developed country in 2060. The country’s compelling beauty, fascinating culture and exceptional experiential offering underpin Burundi’s outstanding potential for tourism, while its location at the heart of Africa’s Great Lakes make Burundi the ideal infrastructure, human capital and investment gateway to open up regional and continental opportunities. If you’re an existing or potential investor in Africa, this side-event at the GABS Summit will serve as the perfect introduction to Burundi’s exciting business partnership opportunities. Investing in Burundi can be immensely profitable in terms of business growth, but also as an impact investment. You can accelerate job creation and upskilling, and contribute to enabling the move towards a greener, brighter future for Burundi and the surrounding area. Ethical, green investments have a proven track record of success, and Burundi delivers on the promise of a population with a collaborative, entrepreneurial approach to the sustainable exploitation of their country’s unique riches. 

The Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Business Impact is an event series launched at the Hamburg Sustainability Conference. It brings together business leaders from the Global North and South to highlight the private sector’s role and co-develop solutions for implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. The second Forum takes place as an exclusive, high-level side event at GABS with the goals of encouraging strategic partnerships between businesses, exploring innovative pathways for private investment, and identifying actionable solutions to overcome barriers to sustainable economic growth in Africa. 
Second Business Leaders Forum on Sustainable Business Impact
Bridging Gaps, Building Trust: How Corporate Partnerships Can Drive Private Investments and Business Growth in Afric

Join us for an enlightening program as our distinguished panel of experts shares their firsthand inside information on doing business in Kenya – the gateway to East Africa. Gain valuable insights into the vast opportunities, challenges, and strategies for success in the Kenyan market, as our panelists from the German Business Association provide firsthand experiences and expert insights. Discover how Kenya’s dynamic business environment, strategic location, and thriving people make it a prime destination for businesses looking to tap into the vast potential of East Africa.

In the 7th edition of our “Women’s Business Breakfast” female entrepreneurs, founders, and CEOs from Africa and Europe will have the opportunity to exchange ideas and network in an informal setting before the official opening of the day. Women are key drivers of economic innovation and should play a central role in shaping the digital future. However, while digital networking is increasing worldwide, 1.3 billion women are currently excluded from it. At the same time, the mainstreaming of AI applications continues and their design often mirrors the gender bias present in our societies. How can women actively drive the digital transformation to unlock its full potential for themselves and future generations of girls? And what approaches can be taken to ensure that AI technologies are developed inclusively and fairly?

Meet German Ambassadors to 10 African nations for coffee, croissants, and candid business talks in a casual setting.

This panel discussion will explore ways to bridge the gap between German companies and Kenya's skilled workforce. With Germany facing a growing skills shortage, Kenya offers a rich pool of highly trained professionals eager to contribute to global markets. The session will discuss how to effectively match Kenyan talent with German employers through recruitment strategies and skills development programs. Experts will share insights on fostering collaboration between governments, businesses, and training institutions to ensure that both sides benefit from this partnership, enhancing workforce diversity and supporting economic growth.

Kindly register your attendance to Beatrice.Otieno@kas.de

A low-carbon future will require vast quantities of minerals and metals. This strategically places Africa in a favourable position as access and availability of these minerals and metals are widely available on the continent. Access and availability of these minerals will increasingly determine the geopolitics of decarbonisation, where African states will potentially become important players. In this side event the focus is on Mozambique and its new strategic position in the Southern African region as a key supplier of critical minerals for Germany and Europe. How can Mozambique position itself higher up the value chain to truly benefit from the increasing demand of raw materials? Which are challenges that government and private sector need to address? This event aims to shed light on the mineral wealth of Mozambique and discuss how the country can harness business opportunities that lay within. 

African markets are growing rapidly and business opportunities for German companies are increasing. Limited knowledge about African markets and potential risks make the right market entry strategy very important, especially for Startups. Entrepreneurs on the panel talk about their individual experiences. Africa Experts from Germany Trade & Invest report on latest trends in their regions.

Beyond large projects that attract significant public attention, there is a vast field of business opportunities for German and African medium-sized companies to collaborate and thrive together. The German “Mittelstand” has a lot to offer: High quality products, services, engineering and turn-key solutions. The African private sector is steadily growing, ambitious, and increasingly experienced, leading companies to seek competent partners who can engage on a level playing field. By leveraging our combined competences, we can achieve mutual benefits and create a win-win scenario for everyone involved. This 2-hour business marketplace provides three parallel round tables to connect with potential partners, exchange ideas and experiences, receive valuable advice, and gain access to key networks. Engage with selected representatives from African and German business associations, receive advice from partnering African and German financial institutions, and discover private initiatives aimed at training skilled labor in various parts of the continent.

This event presents key findings from a new study on the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and its expected impact on Kenyan industries. Through survey data and analysis, the study highlights awareness levels, emissions tracking practices, and readiness across various sectors. The session brings together industry experts to discuss both challenges and potential opportunities for Kenyan businesses under CBAM, with a focus on practical pathways for adaptation. Panelists will address low-carbon strategies, the role of carbon markets, and what these developments mean for Kenyan exports to the EU in the coming years.