African leaders, investors and business executives will meet in London on October 21 and 22 to discuss how the continent can finance economic growth, expand trade and attract investment as global economic relationships change.
The 13th Financial Times Africa Summit will bring together policymakers and industry leaders under the theme, “Mobilising Growth in a New Global Order”. The discussions will cover access to finance, regional trade, infrastructure, energy and industrial development.
A key issue will be how African countries can raise more capital locally and direct it towards businesses and productive sectors, rather than rely heavily on foreign investment to fund their development ambitions.
The summit comes at a time when shifting trade policies, tariffs and geopolitical alliances are influencing investment decisions and commercial relationships. For African economies, the challenge is to secure investment while building stronger domestic markets and expanding trade within the continent.
Financing businesses and growth
The first day will focus on the future of finance, domestic capital mobilisation and the next phase of African fintech. Participants will also examine how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) can attract investment and expand their operations.
Access to finance remains a major concern for businesses seeking to increase production, enter new markets and create jobs. Discussions on SME investment will consider the conditions needed to help businesses grow and attract capital.
Other sessions will examine gold reserve management and the economic implications of Africa’s rapid urban expansion, including the demands growth places on infrastructure and public services.
Trade and investment under pressure
The second day will turn to the effects of global trade changes on African economies. Discussions will examine how policy reforms can support inclusive growth, how investors and governments can better manage investment risks, and how African countries can strengthen their commercial relationships with the Gulf, China and India.
The programme will also consider the Red Sea corridor and United States policy towards Africa, both of which feature in the wider debate about trade routes, economic partnerships and investment flows.
For African countries, stronger regional trade offers an opportunity to expand markets for local producers and reduce dependence on demand from outside the continent. The discussions will also consider how countries can build industries that create jobs and retain more value from the goods they produce and export.
Business and government representation
Confirmed speakers include Aliko Dangote, president and chief executive of Dangote Group; Mo Ibrahim, founder of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation; Jakaya Kikwete, former president of Tanzania; Ahmed Shide, Ethiopia’s finance minister; and Kristy Mcneill, the United Kingdom’s minister for international development.
Former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo will also participate, alongside ministers and business leaders from South Africa, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Angola, Mauritius, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The summit will also host the Africa Sustainable Futures Awards, organised in partnership with the World Bank Group’s Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA). The awards will recognise private-sector initiatives offering solutions to development challenges across Africa.
The October 21-22 meeting will bring together African and international decision-makers to discuss financing, trade and investment at a time when governments and businesses are reassessing their economic relationships and growth strategies.
