Egypt is moving to strengthen its presence in African apparel markets after the Chamber of Apparel and Home Textile Industries signed an agreement to establish a logistics hub in Kenya.
The facility is designed to make it easier for Egyptian manufacturers to store and distribute clothing and textile products across African markets while reducing some of the logistical barriers that have limited exports.
Logistics Hub to Support Exporters
The hub will provide services including shipping, warehousing and insurance, allowing Egyptian companies to hold products closer to their target customers.
The initiative is expected to help exporters reduce delivery times and respond more quickly to orders, while making it easier for smaller manufacturers to enter new markets.
Egyptian apparel companies are expected to begin shipping products to Kenya in September.
To encourage participation, the apparel chamber will cover shipping costs for goods sent to the hub for the first six months.
Targeting African Markets
Industry officials expect the initiative to help increase Egyptian garment exports to targeted African countries by at least 20%.
The project comes as Egypt seeks to diversify its export markets and reduce dependence on traditional destinations.
Kenya’s position as a major East African commercial hub could also provide Egyptian manufacturers with easier access to neighbouring markets.
The agreement was signed in Cairo in the presence of representatives from the African Union, Afreximbank and COMESA, alongside companies involved in trade, shipping and logistics.
Boosting Egypt-Africa Trade
The logistics hub reflects Egypt’s broader push to deepen trade with African countries.
By combining manufacturing capacity with regional distribution infrastructure, the initiative could help Egyptian apparel companies compete more effectively on the continent.
For smaller exporters in particular, easier access to warehousing and shipping services could lower the cost of entering new markets.
If the model succeeds, the Kenya hub could become a platform for expanding Egyptian apparel exports across Africa, while strengthening trade links between North and East Africa.