africa agriculture industry Brent Stirton/Getty Image

Investors’ Bright Future in Africa

For decades, risk, or at least the perception of it, has been a major impediment to Africa's efforts to attract foreign investment. But rapid economic growth and a much-improved business environment are changing how investors view the continent.

ABIDJAN – For any investor interested in Africa, there is only one place to be this week: Johannesburg. When the three-day Africa Investment Forum opens on November 7, a total of 61 deals with an estimated value of more than $40 billion will be featured in “Boardroom Sessions,” while another $28 billion will be showcased to investors at the “Gallery Walk” marketplace.

The deals are curated from a total of 230 projects worth over $208 billion, spanning sectors such as energy, infrastructure, transport and utilities, industry, agriculture, information and communications technology, telecoms, water and sanitation, financial services, health, education, hospitality and tourism, housing, and aviation.

Risk, or at least the perception of it, has long been a major impediment to attracting foreign direct investment in Africa. But the African Development Bank (AfDB) is tackling this problem head-on by removing barriers that have stemmed the flow of investment finance into the continent. The transaction-based Africa Investment Forum is the most important step in this process.

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