Invest Africa Insights

The G20's historic decision to grant the African Union (AU) a permanent seat at its annual summit in India last year was a long time coming, bringing with it much fanfare about the continent’s rising prominence and influence on the global stage. In advance of Invest Africa’s 10th Annual Africa Debate, this insights explores Africa’s enhanced role in a world undergoing significant transformation.

This Insights explores the current landscape of gender equality in Africa, and what initiatives are in place to close the gender gap, highlighting the significant link between investing in women and fostering sustainable development. 

To better understand the importance of fostering diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Invest Africa spoke with Kevina Takoordyal, Head of Operations at Africa HR Solutions.  

To shed light on Africa’s evolving gender dynamics, Invest Africa spoke with Rola Abu Manneh, CEO of Standard Chartered, UAE. This insightful interview explores the current landscape of financial access for female-led businesses in Africa and discusses the strategies to foster greater gender equality and equity within the workplace. 

Our 11th Annual Mining Series was another busy week of receptions, panel discussions and high-level business meetings, featuring government and industry leaders amongst other stakeholders shaping the future of African mining. Our latest insights blog explores some of the key takeaways from our successful week in Cape Town alongside the Mining Indaba.

The AU plays a vital role in championing African viewpoints in global discussions and confronting the continent's peace and security challenges head-onn, and this year’s AU Summit came at a time when Africa has a unique opportunity to showcase leadership on the international stage, helping to unite the Global South in pursuit of sustainable development and climate action. This Insights explores some of the key topics that dominated discussions at this year’s AU summit. 

Aon, our Mining Series 2024 Headline Partner have published a report highlighting the tough balancing act between increasing demand and finite reserves, while operators have to navigate challenges such as geopolitical risk, commodity price fluctuations and societal pressure for greener solutions, all of which are the makings for a very complex operating environment.

Africa’s mining outlook stands at a crossroads. On one hand, the continent is witnessing a monumental surge in opportunity and demand for its abundant minerals and metals. Despite this, global insecurity and oscillating commodity prices are steering investments away from perceived "riskier" choices, with Africa potentially losing out on its mineral endowments. This Insights explores 5 key trends shaping Africa’s mining industry in 2024.

A just and sustainable energy transition should mean opportunities for many African producers of critical minerals, but industry players should not lose sight of the challenges too. In this piece, S-RM’s Africa experts – Matthew Venturas and Gabrielle Reid – explore this ever-evolving frontier.

In the crucible of COP28 negotiations in Dubai, climate negotiators have achieved a historic breakthrough: the first-ever global accord to curtail the use of fossil fuels. The urgency for decisive action has never been clearer, but what was really achieved at COP28? This Insights explores the key takeaways from the annual climate talks.

Opinion Piece by Humphrey Kariuki, Executive Founder at Janus Continental Group. As we begin to move from pledges to concrete action following crucial conversations at COP28, it is imperative to address the unique challenges and opportunities that Africa faces in its drive towards eradicating energy poverty on the continent. 

As the 28th annual Conference of Parties (COP28) climate conference looms on the horizon, the world’s attention is shifting to the myriad contentious agenda items that will dominate discussions in Dubai, and nowhere is the significance of COP28 more pronounced than in Africa.

We sat down with Nouri Bakkali, Founder and Managing Director at Diligencia, to examine how GCC states are engaging with partners in Africa and to highlight examples of how recent investments are being used to strengthen their own position both at home and abroad.

2023 has emerged as a blockbuster year for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its outreach with emerging markets – and Africa features prominently in these efforts.  This Insights explores UAE- and broader Gulf-Africa commercial ties, examining key sectors of interest and forecasting future trends.

As the world grapples with the growing urgency of the climate crisis, Africa occupies an increasingly important position – with the potential to shape the direction of the global energy transition. This Insights explores Africa’s increasingly important role in the global energy transition.

To shed light on Africa’s changing energy landscape, Invest Africa spoke to Ana Hajduka, Founder & CEO, at Africa GreenCo. The interview explores how GreenCo is ensuring the bankability of renewable energy projects, fostering private investment in the African energy sector, and expanding its regional footprint.

To better understand the critical role that CDFs can play in driving climate-compatible growth in Zambia and across Africa more broadly, Invest Africa spoke to George Carew-Jones, Research Associate in Sustainable Investment at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at the University of Oxford.

As COVID-19 imposed unprecedented pressures on global health systems, African governments recognised the urgent imperative of fortifying and investing in their health infrastructure to ensure future economic stability.  

Digital infrastructure presents a ripe and often underappreciated investment opportunity in Africa. According to the International Finance Corporation and Google, the continent’s internet economy has the potential to add $180 billion (£142 billion) to Africa’s GDP by 2025 – and there is a need for robust digital infrastructure to support this growth. The COVID-19 pandemic served as a powerful catalyst in this regard, intensifying the demand for enhanced digital infrastructure across the continent as internet usage surged and governments worked to close the digital divide.

Africa is on track to be the second-fastest growing region globally – trailing only Asia – with generally stable macroeconomic fundamentals. However, challenges persist due to currency depreciation, high debt levels, and a funding squeeze amplified by tighter monetary policies. Nevertheless, the continent is perhaps more resilient to economic headwinds than ever before, with African countries aligning trade and investment policies behind the African Continental Free Trade Area and implementing prudent macroeconomic policies to navigate uncertainty.