Investment opportunities as German Precision Meets East African Agility
2025…Equity Bank’s German Desk initiative is bearing fruit just eight months after its launch, with notable progress in enhancing trade and investment relations between East Africa and Germany.
Speaking during the inaugural Annual Status Update Meeting held in Nairobi, German Ambassador to Kenya, Sebastian Groth hailed the cooperation’s early impact and ripple effect.
Ambassador Groth discussed how the German Desk, established in partnership with Equity Bank and the German Development Finance Institution (DEG), provides tailored financial services and relationship management support for German and European SMEs operating or seeking to invest in the East African region.
“This initiative is breaking new ground here, being the third desk/office after Nigeria and
Ghana,” Ambassador Groth noted, making reference to German and European enterprises
that have operations in Kenya and across East Africa.
“Just as East African companies are gaining understanding how the Germany market is organized, German companies are also trying to understand how the African market is organized, the potential, risks and opportunities through this DEG-Equity partnership,” said the ambassador, adding that the desk is already creating new business connections and enabling smoother market entry for German enterprises.
Equity Group Managing Director and CEO, Dr James Mwangi, said the status update
meeting signals the emergence of a growing movement that unites the precision of German
engineering with the innovation and resilience of East Africa.
“When we launched the German Desk, it started as a simple networking platform. Today, this annual gathering has evolved into a catalyst for long-term partnerships, joint investments and sustainable development across the region,” said Dr Mwangi, noting that Equity is proud to be the only bank in Kenya to establish a German Desk, in partnership with DEG.
Dr Mwangi explained that German companies, many of them family-owned and grounded in legacy and trust, are increasingly choosing Kenya as the hub to serve the broader East African market. He stressed that their success in the region is not just about offering world-class products but about forming strong, reliable partnerships with local businesses.
“These collaborations drive localization, enhance market access and create lasting impact. But this initiative goes beyond trade. It is about building bridges between continents, cultures and companies,” said Dr Mwangi. adding, “From agriculture to logistics, health to hospitality, irrigation to leather, we are united by a shared vision: to create value together. This reception is where that vision begins to take shape – where ideas turn into action, where German precision meets Kenyan agility and where new partnerships are born.”
Barbara von Toll, Director DEG Regional Office, said beyond deepening private sector engagement in trade and investment, Equity Bank has been a very reliable and supportive partner. “We will continue to foster the relations between Kenya and German investment and trade. There is more to come from Equity and GEF cooperation,” said Barbara.
The German Desk initiative offers far more than conventional banking. Through strategic initiatives like business webinars and investor roadshows across East and Central Africa, Equity is providing German and European companies hands-on market exposure.
