NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 14 – Barclays Bank of Kenya Business Club members’ traders have gone to China on a two-week business trip.
The group was seen off by the Secretary of External Trade Simon Chacha who commended Barclays for organising the trip, which furthers the Ministry’s agenda to increase trade between the two countries.
This is the first group to travel and is expected back on October 22, while the second group departs on October 29 to return eight days later.
The Kenyan entrepreneurs will be in China’s Guangzhou City and will not only have an opportunity to conduct business there and participate in trade fairs, but will also get a chance to visit tourist sites, and source for electronic appliances, cloth, leather and furniture.
The delegation is led by Zahid Mustafa, Barclays East & West Africa Consumer Banking Director. “This particular trip offers the Kenyan traders- who are a mix of travellers from all industries but mostly in the Small and Medium-size Enterprises segment – an opportunity to network and explore business opportunities that China has to offer,” he said before they jetted off.
Mr Mustafa recalled that since the beginning of the year, Barclays Business Club has successfully organised four foreign trips for its members. They were to Taiwan and Hong Kong in April; China’s Yiwu and Shangai in May; Turkey and United Arab Emirates in July; and Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand last month.
Since the inception of the Barclays Business Club six years ago, more than 4,000 Barclays Business Club members have visited several countries and made valuable business contacts, which have enabled them to expand their businesses.
Besides facilitating international business trip, Barclays Kenya offers other value opportunities to members, including organizing trade fairs, networking events, and quarterly seminars on relevant topics such as tax management, marketing, investment, and financing, explained Mr. Mustafa.
With more 13,000 members, the Barclays Business Club is perhaps one of the most successful of its kind in the region. Close to a quarter of all small businesses and entrepreneurs banking with the Barclays Local Business are members of this club.
