Sustainable business development in East Africa

On 27 July 2023, with the ceremonial reopening of a hub in Nairobi, Kenya, expanded to include state-of-the-art assembly, testing and training capacities, the multinational technology group Wilo has strengthened its presence in East Africa and reaffirmed its ambition to help shape the sustainable development in the continent as a whole. This was most recently announced by the Wilo Group at a “Building Bridges – Africa” business conference held in May at its headquarters in Dortmund under the aegis of the Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Svenja Schulze.

“East African countries share an enormous dynamism and significant potential for economic growth. With our platform in Kenya, we have already been able to stake a claim for ourselves here over the past five years as a skilled solutions provider and reliable partner – especially in the face of challenges associated with climate change and urbanisation, such as water shortages and provision of sanitation facilities. We aim to continue and to strengthen this commitment – in order to create added value in the region and opportunities for skilled employment through long-term investment”, says Oliver Hermes, President & CEO of the Wilo Group.

Michael Ranft, Senior Vice President of the Wilo Group’s OEM segment and Strategic Advisor Africa, Matthew Magwede, Group Sales Director Middle & South Africa, and Belete Matebe, Managing Director Wilo East Africa, were there to welcome around 100 guests from the world of business, politics and society – including Alexander Fierley, Chargé d’Affaires to the German Embassy in Kenya, and Hon. Alice Wahome, Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Water and Sanitation, who also contributed a brief welcome address subsequent to the hosts’ introductory words.

Further speeches by Maren Diale-Schellschmidt, Delegate of German Industry and Commerce in Kenya, and Myra Bernardi, Head of Section Green Growth and Livelihoods, EU Delegation to Kenya, both of which reaffirmed the welcome development of the site and its great potential for growth, were followed by the formal ribbon-cutting ceremony. Afterwards, guests were invited to take a closer look at the new set-up on a factory tour before a dinner offered an opportunity for celebration, conversation and networking.