Deepening Estonia–Africa ties through development cooperation and business diplomacy
This week, more than 50 representatives from Estonian companies and organisations are in Nairobi, Kenya as part of a major business delegation, highlighting Estonia’s deepening engagement with Kenya and the wider African continent.
As part of the regional honorary consuls’ conference, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia hosted a Business Diplomacy Morning focused on expanding opportunities for Estonian companies across Africa. Estonia’s 14 honorary consuls gathered in Nairobi to exchange insights and coordinate efforts to strengthen Estonia’s strategic presence on the continent.
The Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV) also met with the honorary consuls. Katrin Winter, ESTDEV’s Regional Head for Africa, presented opportunities for how development cooperation can pave the way for meaningful and sustainable collaboration between Estonian and African organisations, particularly in e-governance, cybersecurity, education and entrepreneurship.
Daniel Schaer, Estonian Ambassador to Kenya and South Africa, underlined the importance of ESTDEV’s role on the continent: “ESTDEV’s activities in Africa are essential for sharing Estonian expertise in digital transformation, entrepreneurship and education. With the support of our honorary consuls, we are building new connections across the African continent.”
Schaer added that relations with Africa are closer than ever: “Entrepreneurs’ interest in Africa is steadily growing. With our first embassy in Sub-Saharan Africa opening soon here in Kenya, we can better showcase Estonia’s innovative technologies, facilitate contacts and demonstrate our reliability. Kenya is a gateway to Africa for entrepreneurs.”
Kadri Humal Ayal, Honorary Consul of Estonia in Kenya, emphasised the importance of coordinated efforts: “Our common goal is to deepen Estonia’s ties with Africa, especially in business and economic cooperation. The honorary consuls’ gathering enables us to share expertise and work closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ESTDEV and Enterprise Estonia to represent Estonia’s interests even more effectively.”
She added that the opening of the Estonian Embassy in Nairobi marks a significant milestone for strengthening regional cooperation across East Africa’s 340-million-strong market.
This week, Nairobi is also hosting the Estonian flagship startup and tech event Latitude59 Kenya Edition, supported by ESTDEV. The event brings together African founders, Estonian startups, investors and organisations such as NGO Mondo, Unicorn Squad and kood/Nairobi, all of which are implementing ESTDEV’s development cooperation projects in Kenya.
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