About

Africa Business Convention

Africa Business Convention (ABC) is a premier convening of business leaders, policy makers, investors, and entrepreneurs from across Africa and beyond, presenting a unique platform for insightful debates around the prevailing challenges confronting businesses on the continent and the emerging opportunities for investors. ABC is motivated by factors that, when combined, requires a platform for engagement, extensive dialogue, deal facilitation, and tracking of Africa’s progress and prosperity.

Essentially, it is an important platform for the aggregation of Africa’s business interests, challenges, opportunities, policies, etc. that shape the continent’s productivity, business growth and profit.

The annual Africa Business Convention (ABC) is a deal-centric, B2B gathering, purpose-built for governments, CEOs, investors, policymakers, innovators and high-growth entrepreneurs, etc. to unlock the aspirations that birthed AfCFTA through a tightly engineered mix of keynote presentations, policy dialogues, deal-making, transaction facilitation, business and investment expos, etc.

This means that ABC is not just the melting pot for all forms, sizes and aspirations of African businesses; it serves as a veritable platform for capital raising, strategy and knowledge sharing, and networking, fostering inter-government and government-to-business dialogues in Africa, with the aim of removing barriers to investment and enabling the growth and prosperity of African businesses.

ABC goes beyond a focus on the economy and leadership, it lays emphasis on the businesses themselves and the issues and parameters that drive their performance. The underline notion and motivation is simple- it is the recognition that the progress in African economies, including the reduction in poverty and the increase in employment will come from its businesses. When its businesses do well, the economy will do well.

2024 Africa Business Convention photo
2024 Africa Business Convention photo

Our mission is clear: to champion the right policies, empower private enterprise, and create a future where Africa is not only growing, but truly prosperous.

The Africa Business Convention (ABC) exists to accelerate Africa’s economic transformation by uniting policymakers, business leaders, and partners to champion enterprise, investment, and inclusive growth.

The Africa Business Convention (ABC) is the premier forum for meaningful engagement between policymakers, business leaders, and civil society, dedicated to unlocking opportunities and driving sustainable growth across Africa.

For too long, Africa has been described as a continent of potential. At ABC, we believe it is time to move from promise to progress—accelerating economic transformation, fostering innovation, and creating opportunities that uplift people and communities.

ABC brings together Africans and global partners to chart a shared journey—building a thriving continent defined by investment, enterprise, and inclusive prosperity. We believe that Africa’s economies will only grow when Africa’s businesses grow. By “African businesses,” we mean not only those owned by Africans, but all enterprises operating across the continent and committed to advancing Africa’s interests.

Since its establishment in 2021, ABC has developed a long-term framework anchored on six core pillars that shape dialogue, build communities, and inspire action.

Through these pillars, ABC serves as a catalyst for policy reform, business collaboration, and investment commitments that drive real change.

Dr Ogho Okiti


Let Us Build Africa Together

Africa is a continent of paradoxes.

It is home to some of the world’s most valuable resources—oil, gas, gold, cobalt, lithium—yet it also hosts the largest concentration of people living in poverty, with weak infrastructure and low levels of human development. Africa has the youngest population in the world, with a median age of 19. But while millions of young people enter the labour force each year, too many face unemployment or underemployment, compounded by gaps in relevant skills.

Over the past two decades, rapid migration from rural to urban areas has reshaped the continent. Yet this movement has not been matched by growth in manufacturing, industrial output, or technical capacity. The result: cities like Lagos, Nairobi, Johannesburg, and Kinshasa are expanding quickly, emerging as hubs of innovation, fintech, and culture—yet they remain constrained by power shortages, traffic congestion, poor sanitation, and inadequate housing.

The contradictions are stark. Africa is leapfrogging in digital technology, yet hampered by outdated bureaucracies. It possesses 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land, yet depends heavily on food imports. Some countries post some of the fastest GDP growth rates globally, while others are mired in conflict, inequality, and stagnation. A rising middle class coexists alongside widespread, grinding poverty.

Africa Business Convention provides clarity.

To build, we must first be clear about our goal: a continent of shared prosperity, where millions are lifted out of poverty through inclusive economic growth, guided by accountable leadership and powered by private sector–led investment, innovation, and job creation.

It is a process.

We know that development is not an overnight event. Around the world, every nation that has successfully lifted its people out of poverty has done so through a process—some faster, others slower, but all through deliberate effort. At the Africa Business Convention (ABC), we provide a platform to strengthen, monitor, and accelerate that process.

It will take partnerships.

Africa’s future will be built on partnerships. The framework for expanding intra-African trade is already in place. Governments must create the right policy environment; businesses and households must raise productivity; and the global community must commit to deeper cooperation.

And you—your leadership, your vision, your contribution—will be vital.

Let us build Africa together.

Innovation

Collaboration

Integrity

Inclusivity

Excellence

Sustainability

6 pillars of ABC
At the Africa Business Convention, we collaborate with partners who share our vision, believing in the power of strategic partnerships. We do this in the most excellent and innovative ways, guided by integrity, ensuring inclusivity so that no one is left behind. We are committed to sustaining these efforts over time to empower Africa’s leaders, businesses, and communities to thrive.

Core Pillars of ABC

Agriculture and Food Security (AFS) Stream

AFS seeks to continuously build and develop an ecosystem of agriculture development for food security on the continent and for exports.

Banking, Investments and Capital (BIC) Stream

BIC therefore focuses on the deep understanding of the banking, investment and capital raising landscape in Africa.

Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Stream

The ESG stream is about business interests in driving environmental sustainability, social cohesion, and good governance on the continent.

Fintech, Innovation and Technology (FIT) Stream

The FIT stream focuses on financial technology companies, businesses and evolving policies, innovation and investments supporting their growth.

Jobs / Economy / Trade (JET) Stream

The JET stream provides a dedicated platform for the understanding, engagement, policy and tracking of developments that shapes the overall economies of Africa countries.

Power, Infrastructure and Energy (PIE) Stream

PIE is critical for Africa’s development. The gaps in PIE are the clearest reflection of the difference in growth and prosperity between many African economies and the rest of the world.

Partnership Brochure Download Form