August 2026
Who Are You Really Trading With? The Trust Gap Behind Africa’s Export Boom
Kenya’s trade numbers tell a good story. In the quarter of 2026, Africa absorbed 41.7 percent of Kenya’s merchandise export earnings, up from 36.9 percent a year earlier and the second-highest share in nearly a decade. Exports to the continent grew twice as fast as total export volume. Uganda alone accounted for nearly half of that growth while Kenya’s trade surplus with Africa widened to a record high. Regional trade, long treated as the underdog to markets in Europe and Asia, is quietly becoming the backbone of Kenya’s export economy.
It is a shift, and one the African Continental Free Trade Area was designed to accelerate. But every trade statistic one sits on top of a less visible number; “how many of those cross-border transactions were entered into on the strength of a good relationship, a referral or a signed purchase order rather than on verified knowledge of who the counterparty actually is?” That question, though important/critical, rarely makes headlines.
The part of diligence most businesses skip
When a Kenyan manufacturer starts shipping to a new distributor in Kampala, Kinshasa or Kigali or when a supplier in Lagos looks to extend credit to a buyer in Nairobi, the commercial conversation usually moves faster than the verification one. Terms are agreed; goods move and invoices are subsequently raised. It’s only later, when a payment is late, or a shipment is disputed do the harder questions surface. Who actually owns this company? Is the person signing the contract authorised to bind the company? Does this business have a history of disputes, unpaid liabilities or undisclosed related-party risk? Is it even still active?
This is not a Kenyan or African problem. It is the default condition for cross-border trade everywhere: the further a transaction travels from home, the thinner the information trail becomes. What changes from market to market is simply how exposed a business is when that trail runs cold, and in markets where audited financials, public registries and credit histories are patchy or inconsistent, the exposure is higher and the consequences dire.
Gartner’s research done in 2019 on third-party risk makes the point starkly: the majority of risks tied to a business partner are typically discovered after onboarding and due diligence are already complete. By the time the warning signs appear, the relationship and often the capital is already committed.
Why this matters more as trade regionalizes
As Kenyan exporters lean further into markets and as businesses across the continent trade more with each other under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the counterparties on the other side of these deals are increasingly companies without a long visible track record in the buyer’s geographical location. That is precisely the trade Africa needs more of. It is also the trade where identity verification, ownership transparency and credit assessment matter most because the informal safety nets, the shared bank, the mutual contact, the years of prior dealings are often not there yet.
The same logic holds beyond Africa. Any business extending credit, signing a supply contract or opening a trading relationship with a counterparty across a border is making a judgement call about an entity, its directors, its financial standing and its ability to honour obligations, often with only a company name and a certificate of incorporation to go on. Getting that judgement wrong is rarely dramatic. It shows up quietly as debt, disputed shipments or relationships that should never have been entered into.
Bridging the gap with business intelligence
This is the gap that structured business information exists to close. At Creditinfo, our Business Information Solution gives businesses, banks and institutions access to company data such as registration and identification details, directors and beneficial ownership, financial statements and ratios, group structures, credit scores and limits covering companies across more than 200 markets. The information is built from thousands of proprietary and partner sources. Where records are thin, our manual investigative service adds a layer of verified on-the-ground insight.
The value is not in adding paperwork to a deal. It is in answering, before a contract is signed and after it is disputed, the basic questions every cross-border relationship depends on: is this counterparty who it claims to be, is it able to meet its obligations, and who stands behind it?
Kenya’s exporters and businesses trading across borders have every reason to keep chasing markets beyond their own. The businesses that will benefit most from that growth are the ones that pair ambition with the discipline to know, with confidence, exactly who they are doing business with.
– Michael Nyaga, CEO of Creditinfo Kenya
Creditinfo Group acquires EveryData Group to expand presence across the Caribbean
Acquisition strengthens Creditinfo Group’s global footprint and accelerates investment in data and financial inclusion across the Caribbean
London, 6th August 2026 – Creditinfo Group, a global leader in credit information, data analytics and software solutions, today announced it has completed the acquisition of EveryData Group, a leading data, analytics and software company operating the Caribbean region’s primary credit bureaus.
Building on a longstanding partnership between the two organisations, the acquisition will enable Creditinfo Group to accelerate investment across the Caribbean, bringing enhanced technology and expanded data solutions to financial institutions and consumers throughout the region. Customers of both organisations will also benefit from greater technology integration and shared infrastructure across Creditinfo Group’s global network.
The acquisition further strengthens Creditinfo Group’s global presence, expanding its operations into the Caribbean and adding primary credit bureaus across Jamaica, Barbados, Guyana and the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU), which comprises eight island nations: St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis, the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Anguilla and Montserrat.
“This acquisition reinforces our commitment to helping build stronger financial ecosystems around the world,” said Satty Saha, Group CEO at Creditinfo Group. “EveryData has built an impressive business with a strong reputation across the Caribbean, and together we are well positioned to bring greater innovation and value to customers throughout the region. By combining our global expertise with EveryData’s deep local knowledge, we can accelerate the delivery of new products and technologies that improve access to finance and support economic growth.”
Kristinn (Kiddi) Agnarsson, CEO of EveryData Group, added “Joining Creditinfo Group marks an exciting new chapter for EveryData. Having worked closely together for many years, we already share a common vision for the future. Becoming part of Creditinfo’s global network will enable us to invest further in our products, our people and our customers, while continuing to deliver the trusted local expertise our markets rely on.”
Reynir Finndal Grétarsson, Chairman of EveryData Group, said “Creditinfo Group is the ideal long-term home for EveryData. We are proud of what EveryData has achieved across the Caribbean, and we are confident that as part of Creditinfo Group, the business is exceptionally well positioned to build on this strong foundation and continue its success for many years to come.”
Over the coming years, Creditinfo Group will continue investing in technology, talent and innovation across the Caribbean, helping financial institutions make better-informed decisions while expanding financial inclusion and supporting sustainable economic development across the region.
-END-
About Creditinfo
Established in 1997 and headquartered in London, UK, Creditinfo is a provider of credit information and risk management solutions worldwide. As one of the fastest-growing companies in its field, Creditinfo facilitates access to finance, through intelligent information, software and decision analytics solutions.
With more than 30 credit bureaus running today, Creditinfo has the most considerable global presence in this field of credit risk management, with a significantly greater footprint than competitors. For decades it has provided business information, risk management and credit bureau solutions to some of the largest, lenders, governments and central banks globally to increase financial inclusion and generate economic growth by allowing credit access for SMEs and individuals.
For more information, please visit www.creditinfo.com, www.everydata.com
