Kenyan Businesswoman Champions Stronger Kenya-New Zealand Business Links

A Kenyan entrepreneur based in New Zealand is working to establish a stronger trade, investment and education corridor between Africa and New Zealand.

Janet Kamau, who has lived in New Zealand for about 20 years, is helping lead the relaunch of the Africa New Zealand Business Chamber, which aims to provide businesses with a platform to find partners, enter new markets and develop commercial relationships. The initiative received a boost on August 26 when the Africa New Zealand Business Chamber signed a memorandum of understanding with the Auckland Business Chamber. 

The agreement is expected to support business forums, market-entry briefings, commercial matchmaking and business delegations between Africa and New Zealand. Janet says the partnership is intended to move existing commercial ties beyond individual businesses and personal networks by creating a more organised structure for trade and investment.

New Zealand currently sends about 2.6 per cent of its exports to Africa, according to figures cited by the chamber. Janet views the relatively small share as an indication of the potential for greater trade between the two regions.

Africa's growing consumer market, young population and expanding business sectors could provide New Zealand companies with opportunities to diversify their international markets. Kenya is already part of the relationship. New Zealand companies operate in Kenya, while Kenyan businesses export products such as coffee to New Zealand. Janet wants to build on these existing links and create opportunities for more companies to participate.

Her own career reflects the potential of such connections. Janet is the founder and chief executive of Global Talent Pathways, an international education company that helps students explore opportunities outside their home countries. She sees education as more than an academic service, arguing that it can create long-term links between institutions, workers and businesses in different countries.

This approach has also shaped her efforts to strengthen education links between Kenya and New Zealand. While thousands of Kenyan students travel to Australia for education, relatively few choose New Zealand. Janet estimates that about 10,000 Kenyans travelled to Australia for education last year, compared with about 125 who went to New Zealand.

She attributes the gap partly to limited awareness. Kenyan students may not regard New Zealand as a major study destination, while New Zealand institutions may not fully recognise the potential of Kenya's education market. Janet is seeking to address that gap. In September, she is due to return to Kenya with representatives from New Zealand Skills and Education Group and ICL Graduate Business School.

The delegation is expected to promote postgraduate opportunities in healthcare, teaching and engineering, while allowing the institutions to gain a better understanding of the Kenyan market. The education mission is part of a wider strategy. Kamau wants research conducted by the chamber to support discussions with Education New Zealand and Immigration New Zealand on how the country's international strategy can engage more effectively with Africa.

The chamber is also exploring opportunities in other sectors, including agritech, renewable energy, fintech and manufacturing. Agriculture is among the areas where Janet sees potential for both commercial exchanges and knowledge transfer.

She envisages Kenyan delegations travelling to New Zealand to study agricultural practices and assess how they could be applied in Kenya. At the same time, New Zealand companies could explore investment and commercial opportunities in Kenya's agricultural sector. Janet also wants to strengthen the role of the Kenyan diaspora in economic development by using international networks, knowledge and market access to create opportunities between Kenya and other countries.

She is calling for greater involvement from Kenyan public institutions and the private sector, arguing that Kenya should actively promote its commercial opportunities in New Zealand rather than focusing only on opportunities available to Kenyans abroad. Her ambition is to have Kenyan business and government delegations visit New Zealand within the next 18 months to explore partnerships and promote investment opportunities.