When we speak of 'Italian excellence' and 'Made in Italy' to be showcased and exported around the world, we often privilege the vaunted sectors of food and wine and design, fashion and handicrafts.
The creativity combined with the efficiency and professionalism of our people is also expressed and finds great economic satisfaction in other fields that may seem less 'noble' at first glance.

One of these is the construction sector and everything that revolves around building and infrastructure, from machinery to finishing, from decoration to every accessory.
Kenya is proving to be an attractive market for this sector as never before, and Italian companies are seen as synonymous with quality and expertise. On the other hand, there is a growing awareness among Italian companies that the Kenyan and sub-Saharan market is ready and full of opportunities, with a bright future for the need to take this nation to the next level.

The participation of 28 companies from the construction sector in Kenya's most important trade fair, 'The Big 5 Construct', which opened yesterday in Nairobi, is highly significant from this point of view.
In the exhibition space of the Sarit Centre, there are over 200 international stands, with more than 4000 accredited visitors from all over the sub-Saharan region.

The Ambassador of Italy to Kenya, Roberto Natali, inaugurated the Italian pavilion by welcoming entrepreneurs who had come from our country to showcase their companies in Kenya.
"The development of the partnership between Italy and Kenya has enormous potential," said Natali during the opening of the Italian pavilion. "The construction industry, which contributes substantially to the Kenyan GDP, includes the building and infrastructure sectors and the development of industrial and environmental projects. Italy has much to offer in terms of strategic planning, high-quality materials, innovative solutions and design'.

Among the companies present, there are both realities that have already been rooted in the territory for years, and small and medium-sized companies that are only now entering the sub-Saharan African market, although they have already gained full confidence in other countries of the continent. This is the case of Valpaint, a family-owned company from the Marche region, in the field of decorative products, which dedicates eighty per cent of its production to the foreign market, which has Algeria as its flagship country and has opened a factory in Tunisia.

"For us, the Kenyan market is much more interesting than the American one," explains Valpaint's export manager, Gino Spadone, "we have already noticed the desire to open up to the new and the awareness that relying on made in Italy means quality and reliability. Kenya is a growing country and is beginning to tire of low-quality Chinese and Indian products,' he says.

One who believes in Kenya and has been operating there for years, as in 40 other countries around the world, is CGM, a leading manufacturer of construction machinery.
'I have been visiting Kenya since 2012 and have seen great growth in this country that I consider my second home,' explains CGM General Manager Luca Grandonico. 'There is endless potential here and a demand for infrastructure that has become more demanding. This can be seen in the demand for increasingly sophisticated machinery, which is not far from the current standards of the West'.

CGM trades in machines that produce concrete blocks for construction, but also the famous paving stones, the cobblestones with which thousands of kilometres of roads in the country are being laid, making it more modern and connectable and improving the lives of thousands of people.
"In a country like this, which still has so many problems, especially in the lower segments of the population, giving a sustainable service, which also has a social value, is a double reason to be proud, as a company and as an Italian,' Grandonico explains. 'Giving the possibility of building a house more easily and more safely means eliminating health problems and raising the quality of life of Kenyans, as well as offering the possibility of channelling waste water, which means limiting diseases that this part of Africa has been living with for decades. It is no coincidence that our customers also include missions and NGOs".

Giuseppe Manenti, director of the Nairobi office of the Ice Agency, which facilitates the placement of companies in the Kenyan market, is satisfied with the response of Italian companies looking to Kenya, to this important fair.
"Our primary objective is to promote the excellence and key product innovations of Italian companies, support businesses, and foster business opportunities for Italian exports, because of the importance of the construction and infrastructure sector in Kenya, which is one of the fastest growing economies in sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to the stable macroeconomic environment, the continuous growth of the tourism sector, and infrastructural development at national and local level," Manenti said.