The Romania–Kenya Chamber of Commerce (ROKECC) organized, on May 6, 2026, a webinar dedicated to business opportunities in Kenya and East Africa, having as a guest Marcos R.G. Brandalise, CEO of BrazAfric – a Brazilian entrepreneur with 37 years of business experience on the African continent.
Why it matters
The guest’s central message was one of urgency: “I have never seen a better time in Africa than today. There is immense potential to explore in this market, and those who come first will have the best results.”
For Romanian companies, the observation has a direct stake – the economic presence of Eastern Europe in Kenya is, for now, almost nonexistent, which leaves open a window of opportunity that ROKECC aims to capitalize on through tools of associative commercial diplomacy.
Green energy, housing, coffee
The guest detailed three booming areas:
- Renewable energy – East Africa is advancing rapidly, especially in solar energy, and modern agricultural projects integrate their renewable energy source from the beginning. Opportunities exist both in private projects and in partnership with the public sector.
- Housing – a visible real estate boom in Nairobi in the middle segment, but with a huge, still unmet demand in the low-cost segment. A north–south road network project is expected to drive the construction of 30,000–40,000 homes, with the support of the World Bank and other international institutions.
- Coffee – East Africa is one of the world’s major producers of Arabica and Robusta, with export possibilities for both green coffee and processed coffee.
Agriculture: the gap that creates the opportunity
Marcos Brandalise, whose company supplies equipment for agriculture and animal husbandry and develops agricultural consulting and management services, offered a memorable comparison: “Sub-Saharan Africa is like Brazil in the ’60s or ’70s” – a huge gap to catch up on in mechanization, processing and industrialization, which translates into opportunities for investors entering now.
In the fertilizer market, East Africa imports almost entirely – traditionally from Russia and Ukraine – and the current price crisis hits a sector where 70% of food production comes from small farmers. That is precisely why fertilizer distribution, blending plants and biotechnology solutions that complement synthetic ones represent growing niches.
BrazAfric is currently developing, in Rwanda, what is expected to become the largest cattle farm in Sub-Saharan Africa and is actively seeking partners for its agriculture and animal husbandry projects.
Where to set foot first: the map of regional stability
Regarding the risks of the region, Brandalise offered a clear hierarchy: Kenya is, in his opinion, the most stable and recommendable investment destination in East Africa – without major conflicts since independence and with the best education system in the region.
Rwanda, nicknamed the “Switzerland of Africa”, impresses through governance and near-zero corruption.
In contrast, the guest recommended caution in Tanzania, marked by political instability, and in Uganda, where the succession of power remains an unknown.
The golden rule: “feet on the ground”
The most emphasized advice of the evening concerned the business culture: the African market is not explored from a distance. “Nobody wants to talk to people 5,000 kilometers away and deposit a hundred thousand or a million dollars,” Brandalise explained.
The minimum recommended investment is a one–two week research trip, to understand the local market before any commitment.
The guest also highlighted a structural change: the era of simple import–export trade is gradually closing, because Africa wants to industrialize and become an exporter itself – the winning partners will be those who bring technology, know-how and investments, not just goods.
An open window for Romania
Regarding the Eastern European presence in Kenya, Brandalise said that Poland is aggressively trying to enter the market, but with a still very limited presence, and Bulgaria is taking timid steps. The conclusion for the Romanian business environment is that the field is open – and the first-mover advantage, invoked by the guest at the opening of the webinar, is within reach for the companies that make a move now.
What’s next
The webinar is part of the series of events through which ROKECC connects the Romanian business environment with experts and entrepreneurs active in the East African market. Marcos Brandalise declared himself open to sharing his company’s presentations and discussing partnerships with interested members, through the Chamber.
Do you want to participate in the next ROKECC webinars?
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