At 10:00 local time on June 17, the 2026 Africa International Expo for Construction Machinery, Mining Equipment, Agricultural Machinery, Auto Parts, Electromechanical and Hardware Products grandly opened in Nairobi, Kenya. Strongly supported and guided by the Hunan Provincial Department of Commerce and Changsha Municipal People’s Government, the expo was co-hosted by the Kenya Investment Authority, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Organizing Committee of Changsha International Construction Equipment Exhibition (CICEE). Leveraging this expo, CICEE 2027’s flagship campaign Global Brand Tour: Ten Countries, Hundred Cities, Thousand Enterprises landed in Africa with a dedicated exhibition promotion session held concurrently.

CICEE boasts profound ties with Africa. The inaugural 2019 exhibition received diplomatic missions, African chambers of commerce and procurement delegations from six African nations. The 4th edition in 2025 attracted 54 ambassadors and representatives from 53 African countries plus the African Union. Expanding the African market has always been a core component of CICEE’s global layout.

Dr. Juma Mukhwana, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry of Kenya; Dr. Erick Rutto, Chairman of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Pius Rotich, General Manager of Investment Promotion at Kenya Investment Authority; Dr. Henry Rotich, Deputy Director of Kenya Bureau of Standards, and other local government officials attended the opening ceremony. Diplomatic envoys and business representatives from more than ten countries including Cameroon, South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Namibia, Uganda and Mozambique were also present.

Global Brand Tour: Ten Countries, Hundred Cities, Thousand Enterprises is CICEE’s flagship initiative to expand its global footprint and connect buyers and sellers worldwide. Since its launch, the organizing committee has held roadshows in key destinations including Malaysia and the United States, continuously elevating the exhibition’s global influence. This Nairobi stop and Africa-focused promotion session serves as a vital platform to deepen China-Africa equipment industry cooperation among African government officials, business associations, Chinese and overseas enterprises.

The event received full backing from over 20 local and Chinese chambers of commerce in Kenya, including the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI), Kenya Association of Building and Civil Engineering Contractors (KABCEC), Kenya Mining Association, Kenya Auto Parts Manufacturers Association, Kenya Motorcycle Assemblers Association, China Real Estate Association Kenya, Overseas Chinese Federation & China Council for the Promotion of Peaceful Reunification in Kenya, Sichuan-Chongqing Chamber of Commerce Kenya, Jiangsu Chamber of Commerce Kenya, Shanghai Chamber of Commerce Kenya, Henan Chamber of Commerce Kenya, Guangdong Chamber of Commerce Kenya, Hebei General Chamber of Commerce Kenya, Anhui Chamber of Commerce Kenya and Hunan Chamber of Commerce Kenya. More than 30 key Chinese-funded enterprises took an active part, such as Huawei Technologies Kenya, AVIC International Kenya, China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation Kenya Branch, PowerChina, China Wuyi, China Southern Airlines and Hunan Road & Bridge. Regional executives from leading machinery brands XCMG, Sany Heavy Industry and Zoomlion, alongside major global buyers TISCO LTD, Holman Brother EA Limited and African local procurement alliances gathered at the venue, uniting representatives across the entire industrial chain.

Over 20 African regional chambers of commerce and relevant institutions voiced unanimous recognition of CICEE 2027’s global influence and resource integration capabilities. They stated they will actively organize local enterprises and professional buyers to visit Changsha for the exhibition, and leverage the CICEE platform to advance targeted trade negotiations and pragmatic cooperation between China and Africa in the equipment sector.