The export base of the Vice-Presidency in east of Africa signed a $40-million agreement with Kenya to provide technological solutions in the field of water and renewable energies. According to this agreement, Iranian knowledge-based companies will provide their abilities to Kenya.

It is decided that services and products be provided in various fields such as exploring water reserves, drilling wells and solar pumping, delivering smart water meters and creating online payment systems infrastructure and consumption and payment management solutions.

According to Alireza Hasani, the manager of Iran export base in Kenya, opportunities for technical and engineering consulting and initial consulting in Kenya have been identified for months, and despite the numerous business problems, the capability of Iranian knowledge-based companies is to the extent that they can compete with top European products in African markets.

Hasani continued: lack of familiarity of many companies with some principles of international trade and the role of communication in other countries" business flows is a challenge that must be overcome by influential and expert people in other markets.

In a meeting with Tom Mboya, the Kenyan minister of economic development, introduced the abilities of knowledge-based companies, stating: Iranian companies can meet the technological needs of this country. The Vice-Presidency has also provided the conditions for the presence of these companies in Kenya.

Iran-Kenya agreement is related to installation and launch of smart water meters in Nairobi and development of services in 10 other provinces of Kenya. Another part of the agreement is related to providing solar energy exploration, drilling and pumping services, which will be implemented with the participation of the Kenyan private sector.

Four knowledge-based companies of “Noursun Energy”, “Alborz Tavan”, “Pars Pardazesh”, and “Zamin Ab Pi” traveled to Kenya for one week with the support of international affairs & technological exchange center.

These companies met with the private sector in east of Africa, as well as governors and minister of “economic development” of the country. In the first phase of the agreement, they agreed on installation of 100,000 smart water meters and smart management and payment solutions in Nairobi and their development in Malindi, Garissa, Lamo, Nakuru and Mombasa.

Masoud Hafezi, the deputy of international affairs & technological exchange center, considered the necessity of attention to Africa markets in east of Africa as the priorities of the center, expressing: Kenya provides the Iranian presence in Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia and Ethiopia as the gateway to East Africa.

The US, Russia, Turkey, China and India have long-term plans to infiltrate Africa and control the continent"s resources through the transfer of some production lines and the acquisition of key government centers such as airports, banks" information and service infrastructures, transit, railways and Mines and agricultural lands are under construction. There is a need to take advantage of the few opportunities that exist in this market by changing some of Iran"s political approaches and considerations and seriously supporting the presence of the private sector.

Pointing out the pathological necessity of the current model of business meetings of Iranian knowledge companies in other countries, Hafezi mentioned that the presence of knowledge-based companies in these trips would expand their business view, adding: However, as long as there are no active export bases and resident forces in these countries, export expansion and trade interactions will not take place in these political conditions.

According to Hafezi, the need to support active private sectors in other countries, conducting business meetings with prior study of the target market and with a limited number of companies in a specialized area can help make these events better.

Free Trade Agreement of Africa, which was signed by most African countries in 2019, has implemented the idea of establishing a free trade zone in the continent of Africa, and there will be an increase in the volume of trade and expanding the economic interactions of African countries in the near future.

In this context, countries such as Kenya, Egypt and South Africa, which have better industrial and commercial infrastructures, can be selected as locations to launch production lines and transfer part of the production technology.

Also within the African 2063 Agenda, the creation of a free trade zone in the continent of Africa provides the basis for the localization of many technologies, and the technology-savvy countries that are at the forefront of transferring part of their production processes to African countries can make a good contribution to the economy, and Africa will have a great economic share in the competitive area.

A report by the public relations and information center of the Vice-Presidency for science and technology affairs