The 2025 edition of the Africa Investment Forum (AIF) Market Days concluded in Rabat, Morocco, with a significant US$15.3 billion in investment interest pledged across 39 bankable projects.
Addressing delegates at the close of the three-day gathering, African Development Bank Group (AfDB) President Sidi Ould Tah said the result represents “a new beginning, full of optimism, for the future of our continent.”
Held under the theme “Bridging the Gap: Mobilizing Private Capital to Unlock Africa’s Full Potential,” the 2025 forum drew financial backing from 32 global private-sector organizations, double the number recorded in 2024 underscoring the Forum’s rising status as Africa’s premier platform for large-scale investment.
Over the three days, more than 2,000 participants representing private investors, international and commercial banks, multilateral development institutions, entrepreneurs, and government officials from nearly 80 countries engaged in structured deals, capital mobilization, and efforts to expand access to finance, including support for women-led enterprises.
A marked investor preference emerged: roughly two-thirds of the proposed transactions focused on the energy and transport sectors, reflecting the continent’s urgent need for expanded and modernized infrastructure.
This trend signals growing international confidence in Africa’s infrastructure potential. With energy demand rising steadily across the continent and transport bottlenecks constraining trade and mobility, the influx of capital could prove pivotal in closing long-standing gaps.
To help ensure that commitments translate into real-world outcomes, AfDB announced that going forward, the AIF will publish an annual dashboard to track project progress and conversion rates from pledged interest into actual investments.
According to Forum organizers, investors were drawn by robust financial models, as well as accompanying social and environmental impact studies embedded into many of the projects.
For her part, Morocco’s Economy and Finance Minister Nadia Fettah said the AIF embodies “an Africa that embraces its ambition … that no longer delegates its trust, and an Africa that no longer defines itself by its constraints but by its solutions.”
She called for greater mobilization of African capital alongside global partners who align with the continent’s development priorities.
The strong turnout, both in numbers and diversity of actors from nearly 80 countries, including major delegations from Japan and institutions like the European Investment Bank (EIB), underlines a renewed global appetite for African investment opportunities.
Launched in 2018, the AIF was conceived to bridge the gap between project conception and financial close, connecting project developers, governments, financiers and private investors.
With this year’s outcomes, the Forum appears to be shifting from promise to execution, provided that pledged funds are successfully deployed and projects are completed.
The upcoming dashboard is intended to provide transparency and accountability, enabling stakeholders to monitor progress and ensure early-stage support evolves into tangible infrastructure and developmental impact.
This renewed momentum offers a chance for African economies to address chronic infrastructure deficits, while simultaneously advancing sustainable development goals, expanding employment, and enhancing access to essential services.
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