As Africa accelerates regional integration, industrialisation, and intra-African trade, the need for bankable infrastructure projects has never been greater.
The Infrastructure Africa Business Forum 2026, taking place in Cape Town from 2–3 March 2026, will bring together senior government officials, investors, development finance institutions (DFIs), and private sector leaders to address one of the continent’s most pressing challenges: turning infrastructure concepts into investment-ready opportunities.
A central discussion at the forum, “Unlocking Africa’s Corridors: How Project Preparation Drives Bankability and Impact,” will examine how early-stage project development underpins successful infrastructure financing.
With Africa’s strategic corridors covering transport, energy, logistics, water, and digital infrastructure, playing a critical role in trade facilitation and economic growth, the forum will focus on closing the gap between project ambition and capital mobilisation.
Why Project Preparation Matters
Despite strong investor appetite for African infrastructure, many projects stall due to inadequate feasibility studies, unclear risk allocation, and regulatory misalignment. Infrastructure Africa 2026 will highlight how robust project preparation, including technical, financial, and environmental assessments, is essential to improving bankability and attracting long-term private capital.
Sessions will explore best practices in project structuring, the use of blended finance, public–private partnerships (PPPs), and the growing role of DFIs in de-risking corridor-based investments. These approaches are increasingly seen as vital to unlocking large-scale funding for cross-border infrastructure projects.
Strengthening Trade and Logistics Corridors
The forum will place strong emphasis on the development of regional trade and logistics corridors, focusing on cross-border coordination and alignment with the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Discussions will examine how corridor planning can be integrated with industrial zones, export-led growth strategies, and regional value chains, supporting more efficient movement of goods across Africa.
Well-prepared infrastructure projects, speakers will argue, not only improve financing outcomes but also deliver measurable economic, social, and environmental impact, strengthening supply chains and improving competitiveness across multiple sectors.
From Dialogue to Delivery
Infrastructure Africa 2026 is designed as an action-driven platform, bringing together Ministers, policymakers, project sponsors, investors, EPC contractors, and advisors to foster collaboration between the public and private sectors. By focusing on practical solutions rather than high-level discussion alone, the forum aims to accelerate Africa’s infrastructure pipeline from concept to construction.
Positioning Infrastructure as a Growth Catalyst
By placing project preparation at the heart of the conversation, Infrastructure Africa 2026 seeks to position Africa’s infrastructure corridors as catalysts for trade expansion, industrialisation, job creation, and inclusive economic growth.