World
10 Reasons to Consider African Trade and Investment Opportunities in 2022
By Lerisha Naidu, Lodewyk Meyer, Mike van Rensburg and Virusha Subban
- Visible green shoots – rising commodity prices
The pandemic closed borders and stopped trade, other than for essentials, across the continent and was the principal reason for a decline in investment in 2020. A lack of available capital and acquisition finance, as well as difficulties pricing deals in an uncertain market, also affected investment.
Other reasons for declining investment, included that the levels of economic activity have slowed in the major African economies, such as Nigeria and South Africa.
However, green shoots are visible and market fundamentals are signalling a region with underlying resilience. Commodity prices are rising and landmark deals are returning to the continent.
- The launch of AfCFTA
To date, 38 countries in Africa had ratified the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) agreement and 54 countries have signed it. The start of trading in 2021 resulted in an increase in investor sentiment as dealmakers took note of the agreement’s first movers.
AfCFTA is unlocking significant growth opportunities for the continent, providing the chance for countries to diversify their economies, scale production capacity and widen the range of products made in Africa, in particular boosting the production of manufactured goods.
Closer integration of neighbouring economies is providing a potential avenue for creating scale and competitiveness through domestic market enlargement, promoting development through greater efficiency. AfCFTA is also acting as an impetus for African governments to address their infrastructure needs as well as to overhaul regulations relating to tariffs, bilateral trade, cross-border initiatives and capital flows.
- Shifting patterns and alternative financing
There has been an urgent imperative to identify and enable new sources of finance, outside of traditional lenders and international partners, to address Africa’s infrastructure gaps in, for example, transportation, energy provision, internet access and data services, and education and healthcare infrastructure in Africa.
In the commodity financing space in Africa, international banks have withdrawn as they focus on managing their liquidity and current debt positions. As a result, Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) are increasingly anchoring the infrastructure ecosystem in Africa.
Local and regional banks, specialist infrastructure funds and private equity and debt are also stepping in to collaborate with DFIs and access returns. Multi-finance and blended solutions are expected to grow in popularity as a way to de-risk deals and support a broader ecosystem of lenders.
- Global interest
Trade data from China’s Ministry of Commerce showed China’s trade with Africa has risen 20-fold in twenty years – firming China’s position as Africa’s biggest bilateral trading partner. However, fewer infrastructure financing projects are expected out of China going forward.
Those that do occur will be of higher quality, using sophisticated structures and new finance options, such as supply chain finance structures to deploy finance to the region. The United States is renewing its focus on impact-building and financing strategic long-term projects in the region, with the Export-Import Bank of the United States supporting infrastructure development in the continent. The US recently announced the renewed Prosper Africa initiative, which focuses on improving reciprocal trade and investment between the two regions. The European Union has always been clear about its commitment to strong relationships with African countries.
Recently, DFIs from the US, France and Germany collaborated to finance a substantial transaction in the African healthcare sector. The United Kingdom is also making a strong play for influence, investment and trade with Africa post-Brexit. Further to key summits in 2020 and 2021, finance is being redirected into Africa.
- Post-pandemic sector potential
Investors with strong market positions and an appetite for risk are capitalizing on the bargains in challenged sectors, such as retail, transport, energy, construction, hospitality and leisure, and eyeing opportunities in well-performing sectors like technology, healthcare and Fintech. The oil & gas industry and non-core infrastructure sectors have faced significant stress, producing opportunities for buyers.
An unabated demand for technology has caused extensive cross-sector disruption, with the financial, energy, transport, retail, agricultural and health sectors all seeking opportunities to expand their tech infrastructure.
- Digitization
Digitization is enabling the development and harmonization of a regulatory framework to integrate Africa’s digital economies, crucial to be able to operate in the post-pandemic environment. The African Virtual Trade-Diplomacy Platform was implemented this year to allow parties across different timelines, languages and legal frameworks to meet in a secure online environment, streamlining cross border negotiations.
Digitization is also aiding lenders with assessing risk more accurately through access to previously unavailable data before they deploy capital in the region. This is allowing projects that would otherwise seem too risky to go ahead.
- Leapfrogging traditional energy systems
Access to power in the continent is hampered by the lack of access to competitive funding, the dire state of Africa’s utilities infrastructure, and the need for energy policy and legislation to be adapted to boost investment.
However, new systems and networks are being designed around future environmental stressors and energy demands, without having to consider the limitations of old infrastructure. With the use of mobile technology and the lack of existing electricity transmission networks, these developments are providing an opportunity for African communities to gain access to power by leapfrogging the traditional model of centralized generation and transmission of power.
New and cost-effective solutions that utilize renewable energy, green hydrogen, battery storage and smart power technologies, as well as the global drive towards a decentralized, decarbonized and secure energy supply that addresses climate change and stimulates economic growth, are all leading to investment opportunities.
- Mending chains
Before the pandemic, supply chains were already under pressure in Africa due to inadequate infrastructure, corruption and security issues, poor logistics and onerous regulatory requirements. During COVID-19, these chains became longer and more vulnerable to breaks.
When AfCFTA became operational, it highlighted the crucial need for improved infrastructure and stronger supply chains to facilitate the free flow of trade across the continent.
Last year, the African Union African Peer Review Mechanism highlighted Africa’s supply chain challenges and overreliance on foreign trade and suggested the continent boost its manufacturing capacity to build a supply chain that could not be weakened by global blockages. As a result, many African countries have begun assessing ways to improve their manufacturing capacities so that they can produce local components.
- Competition law and enforcement
Competition policy continues to be viewed by regulators as a key driver of economic growth. Across Africa, competition policy enforcement is increasingly being employed as a tool to boost economic performance and to promote the revitalization of trade and industry.
Numerous jurisdictions have strengthened their competition and antitrust regimes through amendments to existing legislation, the introduction of new laws and regulations, and have renewed fervour and political will to enforce laws. These developments draw attention to the continent’s collective enthusiasm in ensuring competition compliance, and its determination in promoting and protecting more effective economies.
- Environmental Social and Governance
As Africa reduces its over-dependence on natural resources and increases its manufacturing capacity, it must ensure it develops in a sustainable way – spurring investment in projects focused on clean energy, community development initiatives, wildlife protection, sustainable agriculture and low-carbon development, for example.
A commitment to Environmental Social & Governance principles is now a primary focus in the quest for post-pandemic funding, with access to capital for large projects almost certainly containing sustainability requirements.
Lerisha Naidu is a Partner, Competition & Antitrust; Lodewyk Meyer is a Partner, Banking and Finance; Mike van Rensburg is a Partner, M&A; and Virusha Subban is a Partner, Customs and Trade, Baker McKenzie Johannesburg
By Adedapo Adesanya
Nigeria regained its position as Africa’s leading destination for equity startup investment in the first half of 2026, raising $214 million in equity financing and a total of $254 million across equity and debt, according to the latest Africa: The Big Deal report.
The report, titled H1 2026: Mapping the Money, showed that Nigeria ranked second on the continent in total funding, behind Egypt, which attracted $327 million, while Kenya and South Africa followed with $126 million and $83 million, respectively.
However, the report noted that Egypt’s top position was largely driven by a single fundraising by electric mobility company Spiro, which secured $327 million, including $270 million in equity and $57 million in debt. Excluding debt financing, Nigeria emerged as Africa’s largest equity funding market in the first six months of the year.
According to the breakdown by Africa: The Big Deal, Nigeria’s equity funding of $214 million was higher than Egypt’s $183 million, while South Africa and Kenya attracted $66 million and $46 million, respectively.
Beyond funding value, Nigeria also led the continent in the number of startups that raised at least $100,000 during the review period, reclaiming the top spot after what the report described as an “underwhelming” second half of 2025.
The publication observed that Nigeria’s fundraising performance has remained relatively stable over the past few years and exceeded the $250 million mark for the first time since 2022, pointing to renewed investor confidence in the country’s startup ecosystem.
It also found that while the Big Four startup markets—Nigeria, Egypt, Kenya and South Africa—continued to dominate Africa’s investment landscape, their combined share of total funding stood at 58 per cent in the first half of 2026.
“Zooming back on the Big Four (110 out of 190 $100k+ deals, i.e. 58%), Nigeria is head and shoulders above its peers, with Egypt and Kenya almost tying, and South Africa in fourth position again,” the report noted.
The report highlighted contrasting performances among the continent’s largest startup ecosystems. While Nigeria and Egypt maintained strong funding momentum, Kenya recorded its weakest funding performance since early 2021 after a strong second half of 2025, and South Africa failed to attract $100 million in funding during the period despite leading the continent a year earlier.
Africa: The Big Deal also noted a broader shift in investor behaviour, with funding increasingly concentrated in larger transactions while early-stage investments continued to decline. According to the publication, the drop in smaller funding rounds reflects growing concerns about limited capital available for early-stage startups across Africa.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
Accessing the US Dollar in the East Africa region has now been made easier with the expansion of the stablecoin settlement infrastructure of SCRYPT.
This development enables banks, payment providers and corporate treasury teams to move value into and out of the continent in real time.
Businesses paying international suppliers frequently have to convert local currency into USD before purchasing stablecoins for settlement, incurring FX conversions and spreads before any payment is made.
But SCRYPT is eliminating this intermediate conversion by enabling direct settlement corridors for local African currencies into stablecoins.
This development allows businesses to move from local currency to stablecoin settlement in a single licensed transaction, without first sourcing rationed bank dollars, as stablecoins are increasingly becoming settlement infrastructure rather than an investment product.
The expansion adds settlement support across four African currencies: the Kenyan shilling (KES), Tanzanian shilling (TZS), Rwandan franc (RWF) and Ugandan shilling (UGX). Each corridor is delivered through the same full-stack infrastructure our clients already use for trading, custody and treasury operations.
Speaking on this, the chief executive of SCRYPT, Norman Wooding, said, “Across Africa, stablecoin adoption is driven by economic need, not speculation.
“Businesses here are not chasing yield; they are trying to pay suppliers and manage treasury without losing margin to a banking system that rations dollars. Licensed, fair-rate dollar access is the clearest proof of what this infrastructure is for.”
Also commenting, the Managing Director of Markets & Trading at SCRYPT, Mr Gabriel Titopoulos, said, “Until now, reaching stablecoins from local African currencies meant buying scarce dollars and incurring several layers of conversion costs.
“SCRYPT removes this friction. Firms and payment providers can now settle straight from local currencies through live corridors, with local partners.”
World
African Graduates Association Promoting Multifaceted Initiatives With Russian Educational Institutions
By Kestér Kenn Klomegâh
In preparations for the third Russia-Africa Summit, scheduled for late October 2026, Dr Francois Ngan, deputy chairman of the Union of Associations of African Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities, during an official working visit, has held a consultative meeting with Professor Vladimir Filippov, the President of the Russian University of Peoples’ Friendship (RUDN), and former Minister of Higher Education of Russia, Chairman of the National Commission for Accreditation of Higher Education.
RUDN is an educational institution established in 1960, primarily to provide higher education to Third World students. It has now become a popular multidisciplinary spot for many students, especially from developing countries. The university offers various academic programmes and has research infrastructure that comprises laboratories and interdisciplinary centres. The university is named after the former Congolese leader, Patrice Lumumba.
Dr Francois Ngan and Professor Filippov discussed the importance of the Graduates Association as a continental platform dedicated to strengthening unity, cooperation, and promoting shared progress among African graduates who studied in the former Soviet Union and in the Russian Federation. They also reviewed multifaceted initiatives that could bring together alumni associations from across Africa, whose members obtained education and professional training, and cultural experiences in Soviet and Russian institutions of higher learning.
Professor Filippov expressed optimism in addressing emerging challenges as a result of shifting geopolitical changes, emphasised strategic cooperation in the educational sphere with Africa, in general, and with the Republic of Cameroon, in particular, and further about the integration of African students during their studies in the Russian Federation.
The meeting also touched on academic and scientific work, the possibility of rewriting a scientific thesis, and the official organisation of transferring versions translated into six languages for the library of RUDN. Significant questions relating to Russia’s educational opportunities, collaborations and partnerships involving African countries were thoroughly discussed.
The Union of Associations of African Graduates of Soviet and Russian Universities was created under one continental umbrella to promote friendship, for professional networking, to engage in cultural exchange, and with particular emphasis on forging strategic cooperation between Africa and Russia.
