Ambition Africa: Strengthening economic and trade ties with Africa (4 and 5 October 2022)

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Organized by Business France to strengthen economic ties between France and Africa, the Fourth Ambition African Forum will be held on 4 and 5 October in Paris. Inaugurated by the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness, Olivier Becht, this year’s forum will bring together African and French government officials and economic players.

While the COVID-19 crisis put a brake on global growth, Africa’s growth resumed in 2021, and has continued its upward rise in 2022. Africa has many attractive attributes, with its more than 1.3 billion inhabitants and largest free trade area in the world. This resumed growth has stimulated demand and increased opportunities for local and foreign businesses. French companies have a role to play in many business sectors, and the government and its agencies in France and across the globe are working to step up their presence in African markets.

Created in 2018 by Business France, under the aegis of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, Ambition Africa has become the most important annual meeting for French-African economic and trade relations. More than 1,600 participants attended the 2021 forum, in person and virtually, including more than 400 French businesses and 516 African businesses from 49 African countries. More than 2,000 business meetings were held, during which two-thirds of the businesses started trade negotiations.

Placed under the high patronage of the President of the French Republic, this fourth forum will consist of a plenary session with French and African ministers and business delegations in attendance, 17 sectoral and cross-cutting thematic round tables, and targeted business and networking meetings.

The themes this year will focus on the economic situation and business climate in Africa, vocational training and the finance of businesses, and on the most demanding sectors in terms of investment: agriculture, health, urban mobility, water and waste, access to energy, telecommunications and technology, infrastructure and logistics, tourism and the hospitality industry, extractive industries and resources, Euro-African value chains and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).

Several institutional partners of Business France are taking part in the event, including the AFD (Proparco), Bpifrance, the Conseil Français des Investisseurs en Afrique (CIAN), the Comité National des Conseillers du Commerce Extérieur de la France (CNCCEF), France Invest and Africalink. Many private sponsors are also providing their support.

Ambition Africa reflects the new approach to a partner-based relationship between Africa and France based on win-win relations, balanced successes, and shared growth, as President Emmanuel Macron set out in his speech in Ouagadougou on 28 November 2017.

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