April 17-20, 2026 | Arusha, Tanzania
SMEs Summit & Investment Expo 2026
Join 300+ entrepreneurs and global investors at the gateway to East African enterprise.
Join 300+ entrepreneurs and global investors at the gateway to East African enterprise.
The SMEs Summit & Investment Expo 2026 brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and government leaders to accelerate SME growth and foster Tanzania-USA trade linkages.
Join us at Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Arusha, Tanzania, for four transformative days of networking, learning, and business opportunities.
Join our professional and transformational programs
Where you will:
Explore Tarangire & Ngorongoro!
Experience the wild. Embrace the culture. Create memories.
Join a growing network of innovators, investors and industry leaders shaping the future of East African business.
Entrepreneurs
Investors
Speakers
Countries
Join an ecosystem designed to accelerate ideas, build partnerships, and unlock new opportunities for East African entrepreneurs and global investors.
The Investment Expo brings together key players shaping the future of business, innovation, and investment across Africa.
This event opened doors we didn’t know existed. From funding conversations to new distribution partners, the networking opportunities were invaluable.
Our manufacturing SME expanded operations after receiving funding through this ecosystem.
As an investor, discovering high-growth SMEs has never been easier. The platform creates real opportunities.
This platform helped our SME secure funding faster than traditional channels. The investor connections are incredible.
Four days of insightful sessions, networking, and cultural experiences
Day 1 Date : April 17, 2026
"What It Actually Takes to Build a Growth-Stage SME"
MARLON PARKER—Founder & CEO, RLabs Cape Town, South Africa
DR. JOE MZUANDA—Founder & CEO, Jambo Freight Co. — Tanzania
FLAVIA BUSINGYE—Director of Customs, East African Community [EAC]
JASON BENEDICT—Senior Strategist, Regent Centre for Entrepreneurship — USA
LLOYD D. WARD—Founder & CEO, Ward Holdings International LLC- USA
"How SMEs Can Practically Benefit from EAC, AfCFTA and Regional Market Access"
GILEAD J. TERI - Director General,
TISEZA ELIBARIKI SHAMMY Country - Director - Tanzania, TradeMark Africa
AMBASSADOR JOHN ULANGA - Ministry of Foreign Affairs & East Africa Cooperation Director International Trade & Economic Diplomacy JANICE KIMARO- Executive Director, East African Women in Business Platform (EAWiBP)
"How SMEs Can Access Finance for Growth"
ELIBARIKI NDOSSI - CEO, Tanzania Mortgage Refinancing Company Ltd.
JOYCE K. KIMARO - Economic Advisor, CSO Networks – GIZ EAC
DR. PETER KINGU - Head, Policy, SME Development and Inclusive Finance Financial Sector Deepening Tanzania [FSDT]
ANDREW ASIRA - Head of Operations, East Africa Development Bank
SALUM AWADH - CEO, SSC Capital, Private Equity
"Incubation, Mentorship and the Systems That Make SMEs Investable"
MARLON PARKER - Founder & CEO, RLabs South Africa
NOREEN TOROKA - Programme Coordinator for Women Entrepreneurship Development and Economic Empowerment, International Labour Organisation (ILO)
JASON BENEDICT - Senior Strategist, Regent Centre for Entrepreneurship — USA
LLOYD D. WARD - Founder & CEO, Ward Holdings International LLC – USA
YUSUF SSESSANGA- Principal, Kingdom Leadership Institute (KLI) – Innovation Hub
Day 2 Date : April 17, 2026
Showcasing Tanzania BDC SMEs Success
MEDIA TEAM
GUEST OF HONOR HIGH TABLE
"Technology as a Growth and Survival Strategy for SMEs"
MARLON PARKER - Founder & CEO, RLabs South Africa
JASON BENEDICT - Senior Strategist, Regent Centre for Entrepreneurship—USA
PROF. MAULILIO KIPANYULA - Vice-Chancellor, Nelson Mandela, African Institution of Science and Technology
REPRESENTATIVE - GIZ EAC Digitalisation for East African Trade and Integration (DIGEAT) Program
REPRESENTATIVE - GIZ EAC Artificial Intelligence (AI) Program
MBUTO CHIBWAYE - Founder, Digital Brain & IQ Brain Ltd, Oracle Certified Expert, LinuxGuru
TRACK A — B2B Arranged Meetings
Moderators: Janice Kimaro, Dr. Edmond Lyatuu, & Ms. Nesia Mahenge, & Ms. Shalom Erasto
Pre-arranged 20-minute business meetings between SMEs and investors/buyers.
Schedule distributed to participants by 17 April, 5:00 pm.
TRACK B — Coordinated Investor Pitching
Moderators: Lloyd Ward, Dr. Mwijage Bishota & Elibariki Ndossi Up to 8 selected SMEs pitch to a panel of investors.
7 min pitch + 5 min Q&A per SME. Pitch deck template distributed by 10 April 2026.
Investor Panel: To Be Confirmed
Closing Summit & Expo
ALL DELEGATES
Day 1
Day 2
Learn from industry leaders, government officials, and international experts
April 19-20, 2026 - Experience the best of Tanzanian wildlife and culture
Day 1
Day 2
In collaboration with government institutions, international organizations,
and private sector leaders committed to advancing SMEs and driving sustainable economic growth.
KLNT
Regent University
Government of the United Republic of Tanzania
Israel Africa Chamber of Commerce
Israel Africa Relations Institute
Israel Export Institute
East Africa Community [EAC] Secretariat
NM-AIST
EAWiBP
TANTRADE
Pepperdine University (USA)
Oral Roberts University (USA)
Tanzania Private Sector Foundation (TPSF)
World Vision Tanzania (WVT)
East African Science & Technology Commission [EASTECO]
Located at the crossroads of East Africa, Arusha is the gateway to world-renowned national parks and a thriving hub for international diplomacy and business.
The city hosts major international institutions and offers direct connectivity to global markets, making it the perfect meeting point for investors, entrepreneurs, and global leaders.
View on Map Register Now
We look forward to hosting you at the SMEs Summit & Investment Expo 2026
+255 752 715 098
Mbezi Beach Chini, 13 Shule Street
P.O. Box 60139, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
info@klnt.org