In an episode of Connecting Africa, CNN International’s Eleni Giokos explores the role digital transformation will play in unlocking the continent’s vast potential, meeting the business leaders embracing these changes. Watch / Download CNN Video here

For the first time in Expo’s 170-year history, every African country is represented at Expo 2020. Giokos visits the Kenyan pavilion which showcases the country’s most successful industries.

The program also explores how the pandemic bolstered calls for countries to jump-start local production of essential goods. In Kenya, pharmaceutical company Dawa Life Sciences received a grant to help develop the country’s local vaccine ecosystem. Mwai Ngibuini, Former Group Head of Business Development and Communication at Dawa Life Sciences, talks about the significance of the healthcare sector, “Healthcare is critical for a nation’s growth. I’m not just talking about the medicines, but the expertise to manufacture the medicines, the technologies have to be in-country, as well as having enough healthcare workers.”

Headquartered in Nairobi, Dawa Life Sciences manufactures and distributes pharmaceuticals, animal medicines, and chemicals in 25 markets across Africa. Co-founder and Chairman Raju Mohindra says that the company plans to expand its African footprint in the coming years, “Our international business is at about 25 to 30 percent of our total turnover, so we want to grow it to at least 60 percent. So, from just a local, homegrown, Kenyan entity, we want to become a pan-African reference point.”

As the continent continues to open up, Connecting Africa sees how businesses are taking advantage of the growing number of opportunities, with business leaders aiming to make the most of this new era.