UK-Africa Business Outlook 2026

Promoting UK-Africa Trade Partnership

Enhancing collaboration, boosting trade, and driving sustainable economic growth through strategic partnerships and opportunities.

26th March, 2026

Addleshaw Goddard, London

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- About the Event

Advancing Investment, Partnership, and Growth Across the UK–Africa Corridor

Now in its fifth year, the UK-Africa Business Outlook has become a premier annual platform uniting influential leaders, investors, and policymakers from the United Kingdom and across Africa to explore how capital, policy, and innovation are reshaping the continent’s economic future. The 2026 edition will deepen these conversations, focusing on trade finance, investment, and venture capital while driving dialogue on strengthening cross-border partnerships, unlocking new capital flows, and fostering inclusive growth. As a strategic meeting ground for visionaries and decision-makers, the forum will help define the next era of UK-Africa collaboration and chart the roadmap for long-term economic engagement.

80
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Delegates

80
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Companies

80
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Speakers

80
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Decision Makers
- Event Objectives

Key Insights and Strategic Opportunities for UK-Africa Trade and Investment

Objectives
Engage With Top Decision-Makers and Investors -

Engage with decision-makers and investors shaping UK-Africa trade and investment strategy.

Understand the UK’s Evolving Africa Policy Agenda +

Understand the UK’s evolving Africa policy agenda and how businesses can align for growth.

Explore Emerging Opportunities Across Growth Sectors +

Gain insights into emerging opportunities in trade finance, digital transformation, and green infrastructure.

Join High-Level Conversations on Capital Mobilization +

Participate in high-level discussions on how to mobilize capital for Africa’s growth sectors.

Connect With Investors, DFIs, and Policymakers +

Connect with investors, DFIs, and policymakers seeking high-impact partnerships across Africa.

Network With 200+ Leaders Shaping Africa’s 2026 Outlook +

Network with 200+ business and government leaders driving Africa’s investment outlook for 2026.

- Spotlight

What's new in 2026

Country Spotlight

At the 2026 edition of the UK-Africa Business Outlook, we are introducing spotlights on investment and trade opportunities in specific African countries, this will include presentations of these opportunities by representatives of these companies.

Pre-event networking happy hour

As a prelude to the UK-Africa Business Outlook, we are introducing a pre-event networking mixer, convening attendees for a night of networking, fun, drinks and food. This will set the stage ahead of the event.

Breakout Meetings

The 2026 UK-Africa Business Outlook will deliver opportunities to small capacity breakout engagements for companies delivering specific focused engagements.

- Gallery

Highlights from our previous editions

- Get Involved

Explore our Sponsorship opportunities

Brand Awareness

UK-Africa Business Outlook plays host to senior industry leaders, exploring partnership provides you with an opportunity for raising your brand awareness and positioning it for growth.

Thought Leadership

Joining panel sessions, fireside chats, breakout sessions and keynote sessions are some of the ways to profile your brand as a leader through demonstration of thought leadership to a unique audience of business executives and government representatives across the UK and Africa.

Lead Generation

We bring industry leaders and customers to UK-Africa Business Outlook, providing you with an opportunity to generate qualified leads and network with sector stakeholders.

Media Visibility

We leverage multiple media platforms to ensure your brand messages gets to the right audience before, during and after the event. We have done this multiple times for multiple brands.

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- Panelists

2026 Speakers

Florence Eshalomi

UK Prime Minister Trade Envoy to Nigeria,

Sameh Shenouda

Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer,

Africa Finance Corporation

Tim Streeter

Head of Investor Relations,

Private Infrastructure Development Group

Gabriel Buck

Managing Director,

GKB Ventures

Vivek Mittal

CEO,

Africa Infrastructure Development Association(AfiDA)

Anthony Wadsworth-Hill,

Chief Business Officer & Deputy CEO,

Mercore

Rory Connor

Partner,

Addleshaw Goddard

Pierre Deludet

Vice President,

Sango Capital

Andrew Boff,

Deputy Chair of the London Assembly;

Chairman, Africa House London

Cobus Visagie

Group CEO,

Africa Merchant Capital

Gbite Oduneye

Managing Director,

ODBA

Chris Taylor

Head of UK M&A and Africa London, UK,

Addleshaw Goddard

Nikhil Chary

Partner,

Addleshaw Goddard

Chris Godman

Head, International ECM / Technology, Advisory,

Standard Bank

Veronica Bolton Smith

CEO,

Connect Africa Network

Marc Fayemi

Principal - Capital Markets Development,

European Bank for Reconstruction and Development

Terser Adamu

Director of Growth & Strategy,

ETK Group

Adesoji Solanke

Head of FinTech & Banks, Investment Banking Origination,

Absa

Pranav Khamar

Partner, Investments and Structuring,

Gemcorp Capital

- Conversation Stream

Agenda and Key Discussions

The New Investment Reality: Redefining UK-Africa Capital Flows

As global capital markets recalibrate, Africa’s investment landscape is evolving rapidly. UK investors are increasingly viewing Africa not through the lens of aid, but as a growth frontier for sustainable and high-yield investment. This session will explore the shifts driving capital inflows into African markets, from private equity and infrastructure finance to green and digital investments.

Speakers will assess how macroeconomic reforms, risk mitigation tools, and blended finance mechanisms are making African opportunities more investable, and how the UK’s investment institutions can play a catalytic role in driving this momentum.

Key Focus Areas:

  • UK-Africa Investment Landscape: Assessing the new contours of capital flow between London and African markets.
  • Blended Finance and DFIs: Leveraging partnerships between DFIs, private investors, and governments to de-risk large projects.
  • Sector Priorities: Infrastructure, energy transition, fintech, and manufacturing as key growth frontiers.
  • Macroeconomic and Currency Risks: Practical approaches to hedging and managing volatility.
  • UK’s Competitive Edge: How UK financial expertise, innovation, and ESG credentials can redefine investment engagement in Africa.

Trade Finance, Market Integration and Powering Africa’s Economic Expansion

Access to trade finance remains one of Africa’s greatest challenges, constraining SMEs and exporters from scaling cross-border trade. This panel will explore how UK financial institutions, export credit agencies, and African banks can collaborate to close the trade finance gap, estimated at over $80 billion annually, according to the AfDB.

The discussion will examine how new instruments, credit enhancements, and digital trade platforms are transforming access to capital, while highlighting the role of AfCFTA in enabling a more integrated African trading environment.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Bridging the Trade Finance Gap: Expanding access to credit for African exporters and importers engagement in Africa.
  • UK Export Finance (UKEF): Tools and guarantees available to support UK-Africa trade flows.
  • AfCFTA and Regional Integration: How unified trade frameworks can boost bilateral trade.
  • Digital Trade Infrastructure: Leveraging fintech and blockchain for faster, transparent cross-border transactions.
  • SME Participation: Empowering small businesses to engage in international trade networks.

The Next Wave: Venture Capital, Innovation, and Africa’s Digital Economy

Africa’s technology ecosystem continues to attract global interest, with over $5 billion raised by startups in 2024 despite global funding headwinds. This session will examine how UK investors, venture funds, and accelerators can tap into the continent’s expanding innovation economy, spanning fintech, climate tech, agritech, and e-commerce.

Panelists will discuss how to build scalable and investable ventures, improve exits, and align innovation funding with Africa’s broader development goals.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Venture Capital Trends: Mapping investment flows and emerging tech hubs across Africa.
  • UK’s Innovation Advantage: Collaboration between UK venture ecosystems and African startups.
  • Capital Access: Addressing funding gaps for early- and growth-stage companies.
  • Impact and Inclusion: Ensuring gender and geographic diversity in startup funding.
  • Exits and Returns: Strengthening exit pathways through listings, acquisitions, and secondary markets.

Reform, Resilience, and the Future of UK-Africa Economic Cooperation

As Africa pursues economic diversification and structural reforms, new opportunities for collaboration with the UK are emerging, particularly in finance, energy, logistics, and green technology. This closing session will bring together policymakers and corporate leaders to reflect on how to build a resilient UK-Africa partnership model that adapts to global shifts while driving local impact.

The discussion will focus on the policies, partnerships, and financing tools required to sustain long-term growth and shared prosperity.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Economic Reform and Policy Environment: How African governments are improving the investment climate.
  • UK-Africa Trade Policy Outlook: Aligning trade frameworks and bilateral agreements for competitiveness.
  • Green and Inclusive Growth: Driving sustainable collaboration in energy, agriculture, and finance.
  • Private Sector Leadership: Role of corporate diplomacy and co-investment in shaping a new cooperation era.
  • Future Outlook: Mapping next-decade trends in UK-Africa trade and investment relations.
- Attendees

Who attends UK-Africa Business Outlook?

UK-Africa Business Outlook will bring together Senior executives and board members from UK and African corporations, UK Export Finance (UKEF), British International Investment (BII), DIT , and UK-based investors, Government representatives in finance, trade, investment, and digital economy, Institutional investors, DFIs, and venture funds, Economic and trade attachés from UK and African embassies, Multilateral development partners, Legal, advisory, and professional services firms active in Africa

- Testimonial

What they had to say

"I am thrilled to be part of the UK-Africa Business Outlook today, sharing important updates on UK priorities in Africa and meeting with players who are doing important work across the continet."

Alastair Long

Fmr HM Trade Commissioner for Africa

Department for International Trade

To learn more about the event please email

Jamiu Ijaodola
jamiu@eventhive.ng

Arole Mustapha
arole@eventhive.ng

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