Keypoints:
- London to host first Africa business summit in 2026
- UK-Africa trade expected to reach £62bn by 2030
- Mayor Khan leads trade mission to West and South Africa
THE Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced that City Hall will host its first-ever London-Africa Business Summit in 2026, a major move to cement London’s role in Africa’s accelerating economic rise.
The summit, revealed during the Mayor’s ongoing trade mission to Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, will gather African investors, entrepreneurs, mayors, trade bodies and stock exchanges to showcase London as a global gateway for African expansion and innovation.
This bold initiative aims to tap into the continent’s soaring growth potential, with UK-Africa bilateral trade projected to hit £62bn by 2030, up from nearly £50bn in 2024.
‘Whether it’s tech start-ups or financial services, London is perfectly placed to benefit from Africa’s growth,’ said Khan. ‘This summit is about building mutual prosperity through stronger ties.’
Fintech, education and green growth in focus
Set to take place next year, the summit will target high-impact sectors including fintech, education, creative industries, and sustainability—areas where both London and leading African cities are fast becoming global players.
The announcement supports Khan’s wider Growth Plan, which aims to inject £107bn into London’s economy by 2035 and create 150,000 jobs by 2028. African partnerships are viewed as key to hitting these milestones.
London continues to outpace other global cities in expansion into Africa. Since 2013, it has recorded 72 foreign direct investment (FDI) projects from African firms, valued at an estimated £578 million and generating over 2,000 jobs. More African companies choose London as their global HQ than any other city outside Africa—except Dubai.
Diaspora bridges and digital unicorns
Nearly eight percent of Londoners are of African descent, and four percent of international students in the capital come from Africa—half of them at postgraduate level. The summit is also a chance to strengthen cultural links rooted in deep diaspora connections.
The Mayor’s visit spotlights cities like Lagos, Africa’s fastest-growing tech hub and home to five unicorns—start-ups valued at over US$1bn—and Accra, Ghana’s capital, where innovation is surging through university-industry collaborations.
‘I’m proud to be the first London Mayor to visit Africa to strengthen trade and investment. We’re building a better, more prosperous London for all,’ said Khan.
Laura Citron, CEO of London & Partners, who is accompanying a 36-firm trade delegation, called the summit ‘a pivotal moment to forge lasting business ties with Africa’s rising economies’.
A shift to mutual partnership
British Foreign Secretary David Lammy endorsed the summit as part of a broader rethink in UK-Africa relations:
‘The UK is committed to a new approach—rooted in partnership, not paternalism. This summit will unlock shared prosperity.’
In Ghana, Adjoba Kyiamah, Executive Director of the UK-Ghana Chamber of Commerce, welcomed the move:
‘As Accra grows as a tech hub, this summit will open doors for bilateral growth in fintech, education and creative sectors.’
With several African nations projected to be among the world’s fastest-growing economies in 2025, City Hall’s move signals a timely recalibration of UK engagement with the continent—one driven by opportunity, innovation and equity.
