NCBA Bank’s Commercial and SME (CSME) division has completed a mission that is not only a red-letter trade and business immersion tour to China but also an initiative of expanding global trade linkages and empowering African entrepreneurs with exposure to international manufacturing and sourcing opportunities.
The 12-day journey from October 12 to 23, 2025, was a delegation of NCBA staff and clients from different sectors of Kenya and the neighboring region. The team toured the Chinese trade and industrial hubs—Shanghai, Yiwu, and Guangzhou—and experienced the largest manufacturing and wholesale ecosystems on the planet.
The delegation took off from Nairobi on Emirates Airlines and landed in Shanghai on October 13. At the DoubleTree by Hilton Shanghai Hongqiao they got a friendly welcome and after a briefing session and a welcome dinner, the team moved on to Yiwu—the global capital of small commodities—traveling by China’s high-speed bullet train.
At Yiwu, the attendees visited the world-famous Yiwu International Trade Mart, an enormous complex that was divided into six districts and housed thousands of suppliers. The entrepreneurs looked through the product lines of electronics, apparel, and household goods, agricultural tools, and cosmetics. With the help of NCBA translators and sourcing coordinators, clients carried out direct conversations with the manufacturers, bargained for the deals, and formed business partnerships.
During a dinner session, Robert Kiboti, NCBA’s Director of Commercial and SME Banking who welcomed the participants, stressed that running global is a priority for NCBA and that the Bank is committed to facilitating the process through the ever-changing world of technology. Dennis Njau, Group Director of Retail Banking, also described the initiative as a tangible exhibition of NCBA’s mission “to go beyond banking” whereby entrepreneurs are linked to global value chains.
The delegation moved on to Guangzhou, the southern commercial capital of China, where they attended the 138th Canton Fair—one of the world’s largest trade exhibitions. Clients visited machines and equipment, green energy solutions, fabrics, vehicular parts, and ICT technologies sections. Interpreters and sourcing agents helped them to easily interact with global suppliers.
The informative agenda in Guangzhou also encompassed a tour of Maihe Cabinet Factory in Dongguan, known for its environmentally friendly and R&D-driven manufacturing practices, and a Pearl River Cruise Dinner that fostered networking and cultural exchange besides being scenic. The group further visited important wholesale hubs such as Dashato and Liuhua markets, which are well-known for electronics and clothing designed for African markets.
The excursions ended with a trip to Foshan City, a major manufacturing hub for furniture, ceramics, and home design innovation. After that, participants were involved in private meetings and making shipment arrangements before leaving on October 23.
The NCBA China Business Immersion 2025 was the bank’s effort to re-establish itself as a bridge connecting African entrepreneurs to the global marketplace, a place where such connections can lead to trade, innovation, and sustainable growth opportunities.