Kenya unveiled two digital trade platforms aimed at converting African embassies into transaction hubs, in a bid to lift intra-continental commerce beyond policy pledges and into bankable contracts under the African Continental Free Trade Area.
Launched in Addis Ababa on the sidelines of the African Union summit, BiasharaLink and Deal House are designed to capture, verify and finance cross-border opportunities flowing through more than 1,000 diplomatic missions across the continent, according to a government statement
The initiative seeks to address what officials describe as Africa’s persistent “execution gap,” where trade inquiries rarely mature into signed deals.
“BiasharaLink and Deal House represent a new model of economic diplomacy; one that is results oriented,” Kenya’s Prime Cabinet Secretary and Foreign Affairs chief Musalia Mudavadi said at the launch. “Together, the platforms turn diplomacy into delivery” .The rollout comes as AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene has pressed member states to accelerate practical implementation of the trade pact, warning that rising protectionism and supply-chain disruptions globally underscore the urgency of building Africa’s internal market .
Developed by Real Sources Africa, Kenya’s designated AfCFTA trading company, the platforms aim to formalize how trade leads are recorded and advanced. BiasharaLink acts as a digital intake and tracking system for opportunities aligned with AfCFTA priorities, while Deal House provides validation, counterparty matching and financing linkages to move transactions toward closure
Felix Chege, chief executive of Real Sources Africa, said embassies collectively receive about 3,500 trade inquiries each month, yet less than 1% convert into completed deals
.The new system, he said, is meant to provide the “infrastructure and ecosystems” needed to transform inquiries into scalable commercial outcomes.
Backed by Equity Group Holdings and Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, the initiative underscores growing collaboration between African governments and private capital to operationalize the AfCFTA
Equity Chief Executive Officer James Mwangi described the platforms as “the day-to-day machinery” required to convert trade ambition into bankable, trackable deals .
The Kenyan government said the move aligns with President William Samoei Ruto’s role as chair of the African Union Assembly committee overseeing AfCFTA implementation and co-champion of the Digital Trade Protoco
