Luanda hosts US-Africa Business Summit

Luanda will host, from June 22 to 25, the 17th edition of the US-Africa Business Summit, the most important business forum between the United States and the African continent, with the Lobito Corridor among the highlighted themes.

More than 1,500 participants — including Heads of State, Prime Ministers, African Ministers, senior US Government officials and business leaders from both continents — are expected in the Angolan capital, at this event co-organized by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) and the Government of the Republic of Angola.

The speakers will address the development of trade, investment and economic partnerships in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, health, digital technologies, agribusiness, creative industries and critical minerals.

In addition to the host and President of Angola, João Lourenço, the heads of state of Botswana, Duma Boko, of Equatorial Guinea, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Felix Tshisekedi, of Ethiopia, Taye Atske Selassie, of Namibia, Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, and of Zambia, Hakande Hichilema, have already confirmed their presence, as well as prime ministers from several African countries.

On the US side, the official delegation includes senior State Department officials, such as Troy Fritrell, the person responsible for African affairs, and Massad Boulos, US President Donald Trump's advisor for Africa, as well as representatives from EXIM Bank, the Trade and Development Agency and the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

The summit programme includes high-level plenary sessions, sectoral dialogues, private roundtables and B2B networking sessions, as well as an exhibition of technology solutions.

One of the most prominent topics will be the Lobito Corridor, a railway infrastructure that connects Angola to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Tanzania, considered by the USA, the European Union and their regional partners as a strategic pillar for the flow of critical minerals.

The Summit in Luanda reflects the current moment of strategic rapprochement between Angola and the United States, reinforced by the historic visit of the former US President, Joe Biden, to Angola in December 2024, the first by a sitting US President.

“Considered a promising emerging market with ample investment opportunities and a country where some US multinationals operate, Angola has strengthened its relations with the United States through a Trade and Investment Agreement (TIFA), which aims to stimulate trade and investment”, highlights the CCA.

The Summit also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Angola's Independence and the Angolan presidency of the African Union and is expected to result in new public-private partnerships, investment agreements, joint technological innovation initiatives and financing packages to accelerate infrastructure, health and green economy projects.

Organizers stress that the event is a platform for African companies to raise US capital and for US companies to expand their presence in African markets.

Since 1997, CCA has hosted sixteen editions of the U.S.-Africa Business Summit, alternating between the United States and host countries on the African continent, including cities such as Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Chicago, and most recently Dallas, as well as countries such as South Africa, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Morocco, and Botswana.