3rd Annual East Africa Trade & Commodity Finance Conference

Event Review

The 3rd Annual East Africa Trade & Commodity Finance Conference in Nairobi, Kenya attracted a record number of delegates from a wide variety of sectors to discuss the region’s challenges and opportunities in the financing and trading of goods and commodities.

As the popularity of various EAC economies gathers pace, the event, hosted by Exporta in the grand surroundings of the Fairmont The Norfolk Hotel, Nairobi, was well timed to act as a central meeting point for delegates to share their knowledge and experience of this exciting market.

Widely regarded as the premier event of its kind for the region, the programme included a range of industry experts who presented and engaged in involved discussion on key market topics, such as the role of commodities in driving regional prosperity, how banks can aid SME and corporate growth, exploring the region’s growing oil & gas sector, the realities of investment risk in East Africa, reducing risk and increasing liquidity, the challenges in implementing a common market and facilitating trade through inward investment.

Complementing a large East African presence at the conference, delegates also attended from across the globe, including the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, Malta, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria and Ghana to name but a few. This healthy mix of domestic and international delegates illustrates the region’s attractiveness while also creating constructive and enlightening networking opportunities.

Following the conclusion of the day’s proceedings, delegates were treated to a special drinks reception, hosted by Ecobank, where they were able to carry on their discussions in a more informal setting.

Description

Exporta returns to Nairobi for the 3rd time to find Kenya at the epicentre of the buoyant East African market. This increased spotlight is duly deserved as the region has forged an enviable growth record since the beginning of the global crisis, with forecast levels expected to outperform many other emerging markets. The ability to utilise lucrative south-south trade flows due to geographical advantages, combined with a stable trading environment, is why commodity growth levels are expected to soar.

Among those providing expert opinion and unique insight will be leading industry decision makers from local and international banks; export credit agencies; multilaterals; lawyers; commodity traders and many other protagonists within the world of East African trade and commodity finance and beyond.

The format of the conference will enable delegates to contribute to vigorous panel discussions as well as gain individual perspective from case study presentations. As always, networking opportunities will be at the heart of the conference and can be used to develop new business contacts as well as expand industry awareness through peer-to-peer discussions.

Among the topics to be discussed over the course of the day:
• Analysing trade flows in the East African region
• What more can banks do to aid SME and corporate growth?
• Exploring the region’s growing oil & gas sector
• Tracking appetite for trade & commodity finance risk
• Exploring the realities of investment risk
• How corporates are using technology to drive operational efficiencies
• Reducing risk and increasing liquidity in East Africa
• Facilitating trade through inward investment
• What is the biggest hurdle to East African trade?

Who should attend?
• Trade, export and commodity finance heads and directors
• Corporate finance directors, CFOs and treasurers
• Commodity brokers and traders
• Insurance underwriters and brokers
• Export credit agencies
• Multilaterals
• Solution providers
• Lawyers and consultants
• Market analysts and policy advisors

There will be a special reception following the event where all delegates can continue the day's discussions and engage in further dialogue in a more informal setting.
 

Event Photos

Brochure

Programme

08.00 Registration and refreshments

08.50 Chairman’s opening remarks
Megan McDonald, Director, Head Structured Trade Finance SA, Standard Bank of South Africa

09.00 Analysing trade flows in the East African Region
Okey Oramah, Executive Vice-President, Afreximbank
• Reflections on trading patterns for the key regional actors
• The gateway to Africa: How geographical positioning is facilitating lucrative south-south trade
• How is pricing competition from other emerging markets affecting trade flows?
• Forecasting East African trade flows and future pricing patterns

09.30 The role of commodities in driving regional prosperity
Paul-Harry Aithnard, Group Head, Research, Ecobank
• Increasing profit margins through the global rise in food prices
• How rising export levels of tea and sugarcane are challenging the dominance of coffee
• Analysing the impact of drought on wheat and maize pricing
• Tanzania: Challenges in finding reliable markets for rice farmers
• Measuring the importance of regional cement export

10.00 Panel discussion: Tracking trends for trade and commodity finance since the beginning of the global crisis
Moderator: Francois Roux, Head of Trade, CfC Stanbic Bank, Kenya
Ulf-Peter Noetzel, Director of Trade Finance, Financial Institutions, Deutsche Bank
Sekete Mokgehle, Global Head of Structured Trade & Commodity Finance, Nedbank
Veronika Koroleva, Partner, International Trade & Export Finance, SNR Denton
• How are financial institutions uniting to increase liquidity for trade finance?
• The increasing emphasis on local currency borrowing in order to match local currency repayments
• Are borrowers moving towards corporate rather than trade related facilities?
• Mitigating risk: The role of credit insurance and PRI in trade and commodity finance
• Legal challenges in intra-regional and international cross-border commodity trading
• Is the recovery in foreign direct investment (FDI) essential in igniting trade finance appetite?

11.00 Networking break

11.45 Exploring the region’s growing oil & gas sector
Rolake Akinola, Oil & Gas Specialist, Ecobank Research
• Tracking the emergence of Uganda as East Africa’s key player
• The role of business partnerships and regional cooperation in the development of the oil and gas industry
• The dependency on Kenya and Tanzania in gaining access to the India Ocean
• Analysing the rising levels of private cargoes of refined petroleum products
• What time frames are feasible for predicting large scale oil and gas production?

12.15 Panel discussion: What more can banks do to aid SME and corporate growth?
Moderator: Veronika Koroleva, Partner, International Trade & Export Finance, SNR Denton
Okey Oramah, Executive Vice-President, Afreximbank
Oti Ikomi, Group Head, Corporate Products, Ecobank
Abubakar Ali, Treasury Manager, Gulf Energy
Dan Awendo, Chief Executive Officer, InvesteQ Capital
Gwen Mwaba, Vice-President, Structured Trade Finance, Standard Bank Plc, London
• What do corporates need? What do corporates want?
• Analysing corporate risk appetite for East African trade finance
• How can banks best tailor products to facilitate trade?
• Corporate perspectives on infrastructure investment priorities
• Scrutinising future challenges and how to overcome them

13.15 Lunch

14.15 Case study: How corporates are using technology to drive operational efficiencies
Jeremy Cross, Head of Trade, Misys
• Reviewing the changing banking landscape and customer demands
• Innovations in technology: Cloud computing, mobile banking, and the Internet
• How will the financial supply chain be affected by changing customer aspirations?
• Opportunities for banks to build closer relationships with their customers and expand their businesses

14.45 What challenges are the EAC facing in implementing a common market?
Paul Brenton, Lead Economist (Trade and Regional Integration), Africa Region, World Bank
• Outlining recent research developments
• Measuring the impact of removing non-tariff barriers to trade
• How important is liberalising trade in services?
• Initiatives from the Bank to support integrated goods and services markets in East Africa

15.15 Factoring: Reducing risk and increasing liquidity in East Africa
Margrith Lütschg-Emmenegger, President, Fimbank
• Profiling joint-ventures and collaborations throughout the regional
• What products would best benefit regional SMEs and the market in general?
• Is factoring the ideal way for liquidity-scarce companies to invest in growth and expansion?
• Using emerging market knowledge and expertise to develop efficient models

15.45 Networking break

16.15 Exploring the realities of investment risk in East Africa
Jorim Schraven, Manager, Financial Institutions, FMO
• How does the currency risk of Africa compare with other emerging markets?
• Case study: FMO’s credit risk experience
• Why is country risk in Africa so different?
• Examining product choice and portfolio management

16.45 Panel discussion: Facilitating trade through inward investment
Moderator: Megan McDonald, Director, Head Structured Trade Finance SA, Standard Bank of South Africa
Kudakwashe Matereke, Manager, Trade Finance, Afreximbank
Lodewyk Meyer, Director, Banking and Finance, Bowman Gilfillan
Peter Kegode, Agribusiness Specialist, East Africa Brazil International
Ove Nyström, Senior Underwriter ICT Middle East and Africa, EKN
Jeffrey Midzuk, Director, Structured Trade Finance, Standard Bank of South Africa
• Negotiating the various challenges faced in trading commodities across East Africa and the continent
• Profiling wide ranging projects, insurance categories and beneficiaries of multilaterals/ECAs
• How the explosive pace of specific sector growth such as ICT is intensifying foreign investment appetite
• Can the region establish itself as a true power within the current energy infrastructure network?
• What is the biggest hurdle to East African trade?

17.45 Closing remarks followed by evening networking reception

Venue

Accommodation

Delegates are responsible for the arrangement and payment of their own travel and accommodation. 

Upon registering to attend this event, Exporta will inform you of how to book accommodation at the venue.

Sponsors

Sponsorship opportunities including exhibition stands are available for this event.

To become a sponsor, please contact Tom Whitehead, Head of Sponsorship Sales at twhitehead@exportagroup.com.

Exporta's events have a global reputation, renowned for superb networking opportunities and educational presentations by high-profile speakers.

Time after time our events attract the leading companies in our market as sponsors.

See below for a full list of our Event Sponsors, Institutional Partners and Media Partners and click on the logo to visit their web site. 

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