ALA Business
Where African business grows
Independent and non-partisan. Our focus is enterprise, investment and the jobs they create.
Business services
Deal room
Matchmaking between buyers, suppliers and partners.
Investor connect
SMEs pitch to investors and funds. Introductions do not guarantee investment.
Trade and export desk
Guidance on markets, standards and logistics.
Tenders and procurement
Opportunities from large buyers.
Business clinics
Mentors and experts for growing firms.
Business awards
SME, exporter and fastest-growing company categories.
One launch flagship, two growth summits
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Flagship 1 · Launch edition
Agribusiness and Industrialisation
Commercial deals in food processing, manufacturing and exports. A buyers’ programme, exhibition, investor pitches, processing site visits and a live deal room.
For: processors, farmers’ groups, buyers, investors.
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Flagship 2 · Next
Jobs and Enterprise
Job creation, skills and entrepreneurship, with the widest public reach of the three.
For: young founders, SMEs, universities, lenders.
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Flagship 3 · Track first
AI and Digital Transformation
Technology sponsors, innovation, digital skills and enterprise customers.
For: tech firms, developers, banks, public agencies.
Title partner
Naming rights and keynote.
Industry sponsor
Own a value chain: coffee, dairy, grains, minerals.
Exhibitor stand
Show equipment, products, services.
Delegate pass
All sessions and networking.
Buyer and investor pass
Pre-booked deal meetings.
Draft launch-summit pricing. Each summit includes a Solutions Challenge, deal rooms, sponsor-a-problem slots and a published impact report. The awards gala closes the series.
From raw materials to finished African products
Too much of Africa’s produce and minerals leaves the continent unprocessed. ALA connects the investors, technology and buyers needed to add value at home.
Value-chain maps
Coffee, cocoa, cotton, minerals, timber, hides: raw to finished.
Processing investors
Match capital with processors and factories.
Industrial parks directory
Zones, services and incentives in one place.
Technology and machinery
Equipment suppliers, leasing and training.
Standards and certification
Quality marks that open export markets.
Offtake and export buyers
Secure buyers before you invest.
Includes the annual Value Addition Champion award.
Forum investment sectors
5–6 July 2027
14 sectors.
- Health & Pharmaceuticals
- AI, Digital & Innovation
- Industrialisation & Manufacturing
- Agriculture & Agribusiness
- Energy & Green Transition
- Infrastructure, Transport & Logistics
- Education, Skills & Jobs
- Trade & Regional Integration (AfCFTA & EAC)
- Tourism, Culture & Creative Industries
- Mining & Critical Minerals
- Water, Sanitation & Climate Resilience
- Housing & Real Estate
- Financial Inclusion & Investment
- Youth, Women & Inclusive Enterprise
8 ways to fund them.
Funding and partnership modes
- Project Financing
- Blended Finance
- Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
- Impact Investments
- Innovation Grants
- Market Access & Trade Linkages
- Climate Finance
- SME & Startup Capital
Forum theme
Investing in an Innovative, Industrialised and Inclusive Africa: Leveraging Technology, People and Partnerships for Sustainable Growth.
A year-round forum for digital Africa
Virtual summit
Online sessions between galas.
AI and technology policy
Governance, smart cities, media change.
Digital inclusion
Access, rights and development.
Public servants network
Digital transformation leaders in government.
Data for leaders who invest and decide
Africa markets dashboard
Indices, currencies and commodities (in development).
Wealth and inequality data
Income and development trends.
Sovereign and investment tracker
Funds, deals and flows.
Explainers and glossary
Plain-language finance guides.
Summit tracks that match global agendas
Development finance
Banks, funds and capital.
Health and social
Systems and community resilience.
Trade and economy
Markets, industry, regional integration.
Security and governance
Justice, diplomacy, public service.
Agenda, speakers and registration on one portal. Institutional partners: Great Lakes Business Council and the Pan-African Policy Institute.
Where winners reach customers and audiences
Winners’ marketplace
Verified African brands sell here.
ALA channel
Video: interviews, gala, masterclasses.
Travel and stays
Book gala hotels and short stays.
Search and discovery
Find leaders, brands and events fast.
Where government, business and capital meet
A high-level assembly for ministers, executives, investors and development partners, followed by the awards gala. Venue and dates to be confirmed.
