Invest Africa Insights

Africa’s industrial growth story is accelerating — but water may be its most overlooked constraint.From mining and manufacturing to agro-processing and urban expansion, water availability, reliability, and governance increasingly determine which projects scale and which stall. Yet water is still too often treated as a utility issue rather than core economic infrastructure.Hosted in partnership with Mitrelli, this session convened industry, investors, and policymakers to examine how water systems can enable — rather than limit — Africa’s industrial future.Speakers:Jennifer Zabasajja, Chief Africa Correspondent & Anchor at Bloomberg Television (moderator)Mtchera Chirwa, Director, Water Development & Sanitation Department, African Development BankRodrigo Manso, CEO, MitrelliRamesh Moochikal, CEO, Africa Improved Foods

Southern Africa has a significant clean energy opportunity, underpinned by world-class renewable resources and growing demand from energy-intensive sectors such as mining and minerals processing.Renewable energy is now essential to unlocking critical minerals; however, many projects continue to stall due to coordination challenges between mining and power developments, infrastructure constraints, market and regulatory friction, and financing approaches that work for individual transactions but are difficult to replicate at scale.This session, as part of Invest Africa's Mining Series 2026 and hosted in partnership with Growth Gateway, brough together senior leaders from government, mining, energy development and finance to focus on what actually unlocks delivery. Panellists discussed where projects break down in practice, what has helped projects move forward, and how different actors can work together to support repeatable, investable outcomes. Speakers:- Hon. Dean Macpherson, Minister of Public Works & Infrastructure, Republic of South Africa - H.E. Antony Phillipson CMG, High Commissioner to the Republic of South Africa | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland- Dalu Ajene, CEO & Head of Coverage, Africa, Standard Chartered- Lucas Chaumontet, Managing Director & Senior Partner, BCG- Jed Goldstein, Infrastructure Lead, First Quantum Minerals- Isabel Fick, Group Head of Trading and Operations, Africa GreenCo- Lisa Pinsley, Fund Head: African Transition Acceleration Fund | African Infrastructure Investment Managers (AIIM)- Kesh Mudaly, Managing Director & Partner, BCG (moderator)

In 2025, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) moved firmly into the global spotlight — both for its central role in supplying critical minerals essential to the global energy transition and for renewed geopolitical engagement, including U.S.-backed efforts to address longstanding conflict in the country’s east. These dynamics have driven increased international attention across mining, energy, infrastructure and broader economic opportunities.
This Invest Africa webinar examined the political economy of the DRC, recent geopolitical developments, and what they mean in practice for investors and operators on the ground. Panellists explored the gap between international narratives and commercial realities, offering practical insights into risk management, capital deployment and execution across complex operating environments.
The discussion focused on what matters most for establishing and scaling business in the DRC — from navigating political and security dynamics to unlocking long-term, sustainable value in mining, energy and infrastructure. The session also provided an early look at Invest Africa’s planned 2026 DRC engagement, including investor-focused dialogues and a prospective investor mission.
Speakers
Welcome remarks:
• Shannon Stroud, Chief Executive Officer, Invest Africa U.S.
Moderator:
• Joshua Walker, Program Director, Congo Research Group, New York University
Panellists:
• Paul Hinks, Chief Executive Officer, Symbion Power & Chairman, Invest Africa (US)
• Michel Losembe, Managing Director, Tshinu Consulting
• Nabil Saimi, Senior Investment Director, Africa50

Central Africa enters 2026 with cautious optimism. During this webinar, speakers reflected on an uneven but improving growth outlook, with aggregate GDP expected to rise from around 3.2% in 2025 to approximately 3.4% in 2026, supported by stabilising oil prices, renewed infrastructure investment and gradual diversification beyond extractive sectors.
The Central Africa Regional Outlook 2026 Webinar explored how the region can strengthen fiscal stability and build resilience amid ongoing global uncertainty. The discussion focused on several core themes:
Natural resources and diversification: Panellists examined how oil-dependent economies such as Gabon, Congo-Brazzaville and Equatorial Guinea are seeking to balance energy exports with investment in agribusiness, timber and manufacturing to reduce exposure to commodity cycles.

Infrastructure and regional connectivity: The session highlighted the importance of transport and energy corridors across the Congo Basin and the CEMAC region, including cross-border roads, energy interconnectors and digital infrastructure, in supporting trade and market access.

Monetary stability and fiscal reform: Speakers discussed the role of the CFA franc peg in maintaining currency stability, alongside the need for stronger public finance management and improved domestic revenue mobilisation to address persistent fiscal pressures.

Private sector and investment climate: The conversation also explored ongoing reforms in markets such as Cameroon, the DRC and Chad, and how better governance, transparency and regional cooperation can help unlock greater investor confidence.

Overall, the webinar considered how Central Africa can better leverage its natural resource base, enhance infrastructure integration and deepen structural reform to attract sustainable investment and support more inclusive growth.
Speakers:
Olga Marysa Akin-Dina, Head of West & Central Africa

Rodrigo Manso, Chief Executive Officer, Mitrelli

West Africa is at a strategic inflection point as the region transitions from commodity-led growth toward more diversified investment models. With GDP growth of 4.5% forecast for 2025, the discussion examined how this momentum can be carried into 2026 and beyond.
The 2026 West Africa Regional Outlook Webinar explored how value creation can be scaled across key sectors including agriculture, manufacturing and energy. Speakers discussed the implications of new oil and gas producers such as Senegal and Niger coming online, and how upstream and midstream development is reshaping regional supply chains.
The conversation also focused on agribusiness and local processing, highlighting the importance of infrastructure, capital and regulatory reform in moving from raw output to higher-value production. Trade integration and logistics were examined through the ECOWAS framework, with emphasis on unlocking regional corridors across ports, rail and digital infrastructure.
Finally, panellists addressed currency risk and financing challenges, sharing perspectives on innovative financing structures, de-risking mechanisms and PPP models tailored to West African markets. Throughout the session, experts evaluated how the region’s demographic and resource advantages can be converted into resilient growth and sustainable investment returns.

Moderator:
Bola Tinubu, Country Managing Partner, DLA Piper Africa, Nigeria

Speakers:
Oludamilare Adesola, Associate Director, Control Risks
Razia Khan, Chief Economist & Head of Research, Africa & Middle East, Standard Chartered