U.S.-African Union Strategic Infrastructure and Investment Working Group

During the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Week, the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) co-hosted a roundtable with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the U.S. Department of State to gather private sector feedback on an early list of infrastructure projects. The projects were selected by the U.S.-African Union Strategic Infrastructure and Investment Working Group, launched in January to attract U.S. private investment into major African infrastructure. CCA President and CEO Florie Liser opened the session, and Kendra Gaither, President of the U.S.-Africa Business Center at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, led the discussion. Frank Garcia, Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, and African Union (AU) Commissioner Francisca Belobe gave opening remarks. Attendees included Nardos Bekele-Thomas, CEO of the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), AU Commissioner Lerato Mataboge, AU Ambassador to the U.S. Constância Gaspar and Jito Kayumba, Special Assistant to the President of Zambia, alongside African government representatives, U.S. government agencies, companies, and banks.

The discussion covered port and rail upgrades and new power lines along the Nacala Corridor linking Malawi to the coast of Mozambique, as well as rail projects on Namibia's Walvis Bay Corridor, the Grand Inga hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a regional data center for southern Africa. Participants ranked the projects by interest, and a six-month plan was outlined to bring at least one to the deal stage before the working group next meets. Several companies expressed interest in the Nacala and Walvis Bay corridors and urged early involvement of DFC and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM), while others asked how U.S. firms can take part when a project's main contract goes to a foreign company. Participants also suggested extending the Nacala Corridor into Zambia. CCA and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce closed by proposing a follow-up survey and virtual sessions to continue the conversation.

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