「2026 Korea-Africa Business Forum」 Successfully Held

The Korea-Africa Foundation successfully hosted the 2026 Korea-Africa Business Forum on June 2 at the Crystal Ballroom of Lotte Hotel Seoul. Held on the sidelines of the 2026 Korea-Africa Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, the Forum was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and jointly hosted by The Korea-Africa Foundation, Yonhap News Agency, the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), and the Korea International Trade Association (KITA). Under the theme “Korea-Africa Business Partnership: A Future of Mutual Prosperity and Shared Growth,” the Forum brought together approximately 600 participants from governments, businesses, related institutions, and the media to discuss ways to expand practical economic cooperation and build a future-oriented partnership between Korea and Africa.

The Forum opened with welcoming remarks by Cho Hyun, Foreign Minister of the Republic of Korea, followed by keynote speeches by Sung Kim, President for Strategic Planning at Hyundai Motors, and Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The speakers emphasized Africa’s emergence as a new hub of innovation and growth amid global energy challenges and supply chain restructuring, underscoring the need for Korea and Africa to establish a sustainable and mutually beneficial partnership based on their complementary strengths.

Session 1, titled “K-Initiatives and Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation,” was moderated by Caitlin Nash, CEO of Golden Thread Markets. Presentations were delivered by Kim Myung-hee, Executive Vice President at KOTRA; Taewon Jung, Head of Sub-Sahara Africa Region of Daewoo E&C Nigeria; Caleb Maru, CEO and Co-founder of Tech Safari; and Nana Aba Anamoah, Founder of Women of Valour and Media Personality. The speakers shared their experiences in entering African markets, discussed the investment environment and opportunities across the continent, and highlighted the potential for collaboration driven by digital innovation and entrepreneurship.

Session 2, titled “Korea-Africa Business Cooperation: Present and Future,” featured a special dialogue moderated by Professor Kim Youngwan of Sogang University’s Department of Political Science. Victor B. Lawrence, Executive Chairman of Vilacesti, participated as the featured speaker. The discussion explored the evolving business landscape in Africa, opportunities for expanding private-sector-led cooperation, and future directions for Korea-Africa economic relations in an increasingly complex global economy.

The final session, titled “Critical Minerals and Energy Cooperation for Korea-Africa Shared Growth,” was chaired by Kim Sungsoo and featured a panel discussion with senior African government officials. Panelists included Sering Modou Njie, Minister of Foreign Affairs of The Gambia; Salimo Ismael Vala, Minister of Planning and Development of Mozambique; Mohamed Ali Nafti, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Migration and Tunisians Abroad of Tunisia; and Olivier Jean Patrick Nduhungirehe, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Rwanda. The panelists discussed the strategic importance of critical minerals in the context of the global energy transition and supply chain restructuring, while exploring avenues for Korea-Africa cooperation in sustainable resource development and energy partnerships. They also highlighted Africa’s vast potential in the minerals, energy, and logistics sectors and emphasized the importance of joint resource development and technological collaboration.

The Forum served as a meaningful platform to reaffirm the importance of Korea-Africa strategic partnership amid global challenges such as energy and logistics disruptions and supply chain reconfiguration. It also provided an opportunity to explore cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including trade, investment, industry, energy, and critical minerals, while strengthening practical business networks between Korea and Africa. Participants concluded the Forum with a shared commitment to further expanding mutually beneficial partnerships that promote sustainable growth and prosperity for both Korea and Africa.