The board of directors of the African Development Bank Group and the founding partners of the African Investment Forum (AIF) have approved the postponement of the 2020 Africa Investment Forum to 2021 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The annual investment market for three days was initially planned for November 2020 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
The decision follows a careful evaluation of the impact and evolution of the COVID-19 global pandemic, the associated risk of a possible second wave, and its associated effects on world travel, investments and social distance rules.
The Forum will continue to compile new transactions, monitor investments and promote the financial closing of transactions and existing transactions through its innovative digital platforms.
At the 2019 Africa Investment Forum, 57 transactions worth $ 67.7 billion were tabled. Fifty-two transactions worth $ 40.1 billion secure investment interest.
In July this year, the AIF Founding Partners pledged to strengthen strategic partnership engagement and commitments for Africa Investment Forum Market Days 2021, to help recharge investment in Africa. They emphasize the need to promote local manufacturing, while using the vast resources of the continent to unlock investments.
The Africa Investment Forum relies on four pillars to achieve its goals: investing, engaging, closing and tracking investments.
The founding partners of Africa Investment Forum are the African Development Bank, African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank); Africa Finance Corporation; Africa50, the Islamic Development Bank, the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the Trade and Development Bank.
Contact:
Amba Mpoke-Bigg, Department of Communications and External Relations, African Development Bank; Email: a.mpoke-bigg@afdb.org