Standard Chartered announced today the findings of its latest Future of Trade report, titled ‘Navigating an Age of Structural Uncertainty’, which highlights that all Egyptian businesses surveyed expect digitalisation to reduce costs by at least 10% in processing trade documents and data and in identifying and collaborating with overseas counterparties.
The study, which surveyed 2,100 senior corporate decision-makers across 27 markets, found that expected efficiencies extend across the trade cycle. 96% of Egyptian respondents anticipate cost reductions of at least 10% in executing payments and settlements, while 90% expect comparable savings in meeting compliance and regulatory requirements and coordinating shipments and logistics.
Syed Khurrum Zaeem, Managing Director, Head of Trade and Transactional Banking for the Middle East, Pakistan and Africa, Standard Chartered, said: “Egyptian businesses increasingly view digitalisation as a source of measurable commercial value. Their expectations for double-digit cost efficiencies, supported by mature capabilities in cash visibility and automated payments, demonstrate how technology can reduce friction across the trade cycle. These investments can help businesses respond faster, manage financial flows more effectively and pursue growth across international markets.”
Egypt’s digital maturity is already evident across core trade capabilities. The country ranks first globally for mature implementation of real-time cash visibility and automated payments and collections. 58% of Egyptian businesses report mature implementation of real-time cash visibility, more than double the global figure of 26%, while 52% report mature implementation of automated payments and collections, compared with 37% globally.
That maturity is translating into measurable benefits. 96% say digital tools enable them to respond more quickly to supply-chain disruption, placing Egypt third globally, while 90% say digital capabilities improve decision-making through better visibility and forecasting across supply-chain and financial flows. 59% report clear benefits from real-time cash visibility, compared with 47% globally, while 66% report benefits from automated payments and collections, compared with 42% globally. A further 80% say digital treasury improves their ability to manage cash, liquidity and foreign exchange risks, compared with 74% globally.
Looking ahead, investment remains focused on visibility and supply chain finance. Real-time cash visibility and digital supply chain finance platforms are the leading investment priorities for Egyptian businesses over the next three to five years, each identified by 68% of respondents. Egypt ranks third globally for planned investment in digital supply chain finance, while 50% plan to invest in automated payments and collections and the same proportion in cybersecurity and risk management.
The Egypt findings reflect a broader global shift towards more digitally enabled trade. The Future of Trade report includes an illustrative Digital Acceleration scenario, which estimates that faster trade digitalisation could lift global trade by 6.9%, equivalent to US$2.8 trillion, by 2031 compared with Oxford Economics’ baseline.
