Despite the turbulence in the global economy, business leaders across Kenya and East Africa are forging ahead with optimism, adaptability, and bold transformation strategies. The latest PwC 28th Global CEO Survey, launched in March 2025, paints a compelling portrait of how regional CEOs are positioning themselves for long-term success through strategic reinvention, AI integration, and climate-conscious investments.
Economic confidence is high — but not without caveats
The outlook from the region is strikingly positive. According to the survey, 72% of East African CEOs anticipate economic growth within their territory over the next 12 months, while 66% expect global growth. For Kenya, 60% of CEOs foresee global economic improvement, and 48% remain cautiously confident about local economic prospects.
While the upbeat sentiment is welcome, it’s also measured. The region is navigating headwinds that include persistent inflation, currency depreciation, geopolitical tensions, and shifting trade dynamics. Kenyan CEOs particularly noted inflation (35%), macroeconomic volatility (28%), and cyber risks (25%) as top threats in the year ahead.
The chart below shows how Kenyan and East African CEOs perceive top business risks heading into 2025.
Top Perceived Business Threats (Kenya vs East Africa)
This visual comparison underlines the similarity in threat perception between Kenya and the broader region, especially around inflation, geopolitical concerns, and cybersecurity.
Nonetheless, the longer-term view is more bullish. About 65% of Kenyan CEOs believe their companies will remain economically viable for more than 10 years if they continue on their current path — a figure that aligns closely with East Africa’s regional average of 53%.
Reinvention as a strategic imperative
The big theme of this year’s report is reinvention. Across East Africa, CEOs are not just weathering economic uncertainty — they’re transforming their businesses to thrive in a changing world. Nearly half of East African CEOs have taken at least one significant action in the last five years to rethink how their businesses create, deliver, or capture value.
In Kenya, this reinvention is manifesting in:
- Development of innovative products (48%)
- Expansion into new sectors (60%)
- Targeting new customer bases and exploring new go-to-market strategies (43%)
As Peter Ngahu, PwC’s Regional Senior Partner for Eastern Africa, notes,
“This is an exciting time of change… Technological disruption and other megatrends are driving a fundamental reconfiguration of our production systems… CEOs are full speed into their reinvention journey despite the challenges they face.”
What’s particularly interesting is that Kenyan CEOs are thinking beyond national borders, with many planning regional expansion into Uganda and Tanzania — a sign of confidence in East Africa’s integrated growth potential.
AI integration: Practical optimism with measured trust
Generative AI is no longer a buzzword — it’s becoming a strategic lever for growth in East Africa. The survey finds that 57% of CEOs in the region saw efficiency gains from GenAI over the past year, and 34% experienced revenue growth as a result.
Kenya is slightly ahead of the curve:
- 50% of Kenyan CEOs personally trust having AI embedded in key company processes
- Over the next three years, they plan to integrate AI into technology platforms (50%), business processes (48%), and workforce skills (33%)
- The focus is on automating tasks, improving decision-making with data analytics, and enhancing customer experiences
The chart below highlights how trust levels in AI vary across regions.
CEO Trust in AI for Key Business Processes
Kenyan CEOs show stronger trust in AI integration than their East African and global peers, positioning the country as a regional leader in tech confidence.
Yet challenges remain. Trust in AI adoption is still a hurdle — only 42% of East African CEOs say they have a high degree of trust embedding AI. Moreover, while many hoped for faster profitability boosts, actual results have been more modest than expectations set in 2024.
Still, the general mood is forward-looking. The region is warming up to the digital economy, and AI appears set to underpin everything from logistics and banking to agriculture and customer service.
Climate action: A push, but not yet a surge
Sustainability continues to rise on the agenda, especially in Kenya. While 26% of Kenyan CEOs reported that climate-friendly investments had reduced costs, and 42% said they had increased revenues, the majority across East Africa said such investments have had little impact so far.
Interestingly, 55% of Kenyan CEOs now have personal incentive compensation tied to sustainability metrics — such as carbon emissions, energy efficiency, and responsible resource management.
However, barriers to climate action remain. Among Kenyan CEOs who haven’t made such investments:
- 33% cite regulatory complexity
- 23% cite lack of stakeholder demand
- 23% cite lack of financing
Despite this, momentum is building. Over half of the region’s CEOs report buy-in from their boards and management for climate initiatives. There’s a recognition that East Africa cannot afford to be left behind in the global climate transition — particularly given the local impacts of climate change on agriculture, food security, and rural livelihoods.
CEOs are still people: Behavioural shifts in leadership
Beyond the big numbers, the survey sheds light on how CEOs are thinking and acting.
- Across Kenya and East Africa, CEOs are increasingly intentional in decision-making, moving away from intuition toward data-driven strategies
- Many have redesigned internal processes like procurement, tax planning, and talent management to be more strategic
- There is also growing awareness around organizational inefficiencies, and a desire to simplify operations for agility
Notably, Kenyan CEOs outperform their regional and global counterparts in certain behavioural metrics. They are more likely to question assumptions, pursue alternate growth avenues, and reallocate capital where needed.
The region’s CEOs are not just surviving — they’re redesigning the future
In a time of flux, East African and Kenyan CEOs are not retreating — they’re reinventing. They are placing long-term bets on technology, people, and sustainability, even as they navigate real threats like inflation, cyber risks, and policy uncertainty.
What stands out is not just resilience, but renewed ambition. Whether it’s using AI to boost productivity, exploring cross-border opportunities in the region, or embedding climate metrics into executive pay — CEOs in the region are actively shaping their futures, not waiting for change to come.
As PwC’s report highlights, this reinvention isn’t a luxury. For many businesses, it’s becoming a necessity for survival. But with the strategic actions underway, Kenya and East Africa may just be better positioned than many to ride the next wave of global growth.
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