IN SHORT: The 18th US-Africa Business Summit will be held in Mauritius from July 26 to 29, 2026, the first time the summit has been hosted on the Indian Ocean island and outside continental Africa. More than 2,500 delegates are expected including African heads of state, senior US government officials and CEOs from US and African companies. The 2025 summit generated over $4 billion in deals. The 2026 edition will focus on financial services, ICT, renewable energy, the blue economy, manufacturing and tourism, with AGOA renewal a key policy discussion.
The US-Africa Business Summit is moving to Mauritius for its 18th edition, selecting one of Africa’s most sophisticated financial services environments as the venue for a gathering that is expected to advance the next phase of US-Africa trade and investment at a moment when competition for African commercial relationships is at its most intense in a generation.
The Corporate Council on Africa and the Government of Mauritius signed a Memorandum of Agreement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in September 2025 to formalise the hosting arrangement. The July 26 to 29 dates were confirmed in a joint press conference held by the Mauritian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and CCA in Port Louis.
- The choice of Mauritius is itself a signal. The island nation has built one of Africa’s most credible investment gateway environments over three decades: a strong regulatory framework, a sophisticated financial services sector, competitive tax treaties across the continent, and a political stability record that makes it among the most predictable operating environments in the Indian Ocean region. Hosting the US-Africa Business Summit in Mauritius underscores that Africa’s investment infrastructure is no longer concentrated only in the traditional large-economy capitals.
- The 2025 edition of the summit, held in Luanda, Angola, generated over $4 billion in business deals and investment commitments across energy, infrastructure, digital transformation, healthcare, agribusiness and tourism. It convened 12 African heads of state and government, 41 ministers, over 400 US and African government officials, 230 speakers and 2,800 attendees. The 2026 edition targets 2,500 delegates and builds on that momentum.
- Key sectors for the 2026 discussions include financial services, where Mauritius’s own financial centre gives the venue particular relevance, ICT and digital infrastructure, renewable energy with a focus on Africa’s growing solar and wind buildout, the blue economy as a frontier investment area given the Indian Ocean context, manufacturing and regional value chains, and tourism. Each reflects a genuine convergence of US commercial interest and African development priority.
- AGOA renewal is the policy centrepiece. The African Growth and Opportunity Act, which provides duty-free access to the US market for eligible African countries, is scheduled for review and renewal debates in Washington. CCA CEO Florie Liser has been explicit that the summit will provide a platform to make the case for AGOA renewal and to engage senior US trade officials on the legislation’s future. An AGOA lapse would be a significant setback for African textile, agricultural and manufacturing exporters who have built supply chains around US market access.
- US government agencies participating include the Export-Import Bank of the US, the Development Finance Corporation, the US Trade and Development Agency, the Departments of State and Commerce, and the US Trade Representative. The DFC’s presence is particularly significant given its role in financing the Lobito Corridor Angola-Zambia-DRC railway and its critical minerals investment mandate across the continent.
- The competitive context for the summit is sharper than in any previous year. China has just extended zero-tariff access to all 53 African nations from May 1. France is co-hosting a summit with Kenya in Nairobi in May. The Gulf states are deploying sovereign wealth fund capital across African infrastructure and agribusiness. The US-Africa Business Summit in Mauritius is therefore not just a commercial convening but a competitive positioning exercise: demonstrating that the United States remains a committed, credible and commercially active partner in Africa’s growth story.
Mauritius Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful: “Mauritius is honored to host the 2026 US-Africa Business Summit and play a key role in strengthening a mutually beneficial trade and investment relationship between Africa and the United States. Our nation has long been a bridge between Africa and the world.”
The Bigger Picture: The US-Africa Business Summit in Mauritius is the American answer to a question Africa keeps asking: is the United States a serious long-term commercial partner or a periodic visitor whose engagement depends on the geopolitical weather in Washington? The $4 billion in deals generated in 2025 says yes, at the level of individual transactions. What Africa is watching is whether that deal flow is sustained over multiple years and multiple administrations. AGOA renewal is the policy test. The Lobito Corridor financing is the infrastructure test. The DFC’s critical minerals pipeline is the strategic alignment test. Mauritius provides a credible venue. What matters is what gets signed there.
Source: US-Africa Business Summit / Modern Diplomacy / Pan African Visions, May 2026
