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Beyond the Balance Sheet: Is It Time to Move Away from Traditional Trade Finance?
When: May 12, 2026
Location: GTR East Africa, 2026 – Nairobi
People: Simon Cook

Simon Cook moderated a panel discussion titled "Beyond the Balance Sheet: Is It Time to Move Away from Traditional Trade Finance?" on the first day of GTR East Africa, 2026, which was held in Nairobi on May 12 and 13.

The convergence of shifting demand for commodities and the geopolitically driven realignment of global supply chains poses an opportunity not only for trade growth, but also for the creation of value-added industry and intra-regional supply chains that can leverage the continent’s resource wealth. The finance required for these investments remains restricted, with recognition of the opportunity to move away from traditional trade financing models growing. This panel explored the trade finance structures replacing reliance on collateral and driving the deployment of off-balance-sheet solutions, enabling corporates to fund the infrastructure, equipment, technology and working capital needed to grow sales, process commodities locally, manufacture finished goods, and capture higher value along the supply chain.

This panel discussed:

  • Exploring key drivers of global supply chain shifts, from the energy transition to food security concerns: to what extent are regional commodity players already seeing increased demand?
  • Highlighting the trade structures providing pre- and post-shipment financing support for exporters, and the key players in various transactions: is financing appetite and capacity growing in 2026?
  • Which structures are most appropriate for different commodity value chains such as agriculture, minerals and energy? How can international transactions be adapted to local market realities?
  • From political and regulatory to financing and FX risks, which risk sharing techniques, trade credit insurance capabilities and development financing initiatives are being deployed?

The panel included Dheerie Govender at SIS Mauritius, Benedictor Mwanza at Cafeco Trading, Oreoluwa Adeyemo at Starks Associates and Cecilia Rague-Kaisha at Underwriting Africa.