“We as a continent need to focus on internal resilience,” - Abi Mustapha-Maduakor, Chief Executive Officer, AVCA - The African Private Capital Association.

NSIA: Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority is scouting for fund managers to help it deploy capital across its broader platform, according to head of externally managed investments Chinedu Mofunanya at #AVCA2026

African investors are increasingly driving the market as global shocks and geopolitical uncertainty deter Western financiers. AVCA Research found a rising share of local capital and a focus on smaller, resilient deals, with African investors accounting for 21% of private capital commitments in 2025. Despite a decline in foreign investment, the African private capital landscape is maturing, with AVCA noting a shift toward strengthening domestic capital mobilisation.

For years, Africa’s business forums have echoed with the same refrain – the call for “global capital.” Another key to scaling investment opportunities on the continent is to recycle the capital that’s already been committed through secondary sales.

ICEA LION Group is building up its private credit allocation with a focus on job creation and climate, CIO Gerald Gondo says.

Opening the association’s 22nd Venture Capital Summit in Nairobi on Wednesday, AVCA chief executive Abi Mustapha-Maduakor acknowledged the headwinds facing the sector but pointed to shifts witnessed in 2025. AVCA’s annual gathering brings founders, venture capital investors, corporate venture arms, philanthropic foundations, and policymakers

En dépit d’un contexte international tendu, le gotha du capital investissement africain, réuni cette semaine dans la capitale kényane, veut croire à la résilience des investissements sur le continent. À condition d’actionner les bons leviers.

Nairobi is this week hosting one of Africa’s biggest investment gatherings, at a time when the private capital industry is facing tighter global liquidity, shifting investor priorities, and growing pressure to fund its own growth. The 22nd Annual Africa Private Capital Association Conference and Venture Capital Summit is bringing together investors and policymakers to chart the next phase of capital flows into the continent.

Los delegados de la conferencia anual de la Asociación Africana de Capital Privado (AVCA) escucharon que el mercado africano de capital privado está entrando en una fase pragmática, ya que las salidas a bolsa de empresas respaldadas por capital de riesgo alcanzaron niveles récord en 2025, a pesar de que la captación de fondos siguió siendo difícil.

The African Private Capital Association has announced Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, as the host city for its 2027 Annual Conference and Venture Capital Summit, underscoring growing investor confidence in West Africa’s economic trajectory.

East Africa has successfully attracted US$4.1bn in investments between 2021 and 2025, a milestone attributed to aggressive capital market reforms and foreign exchange liberalisation across the region. The data was unveiled at the ongoing 22nd Annual AVCA Conference & VC Summit, where over 800 international and domestic financiers have gathered to position Kenya as the primary gateway for African private capita

Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest person, said his group is on track to generate total revenue of $30 billion next year, even as companies fret over the potential impact of US President Donald Trump’s tariffs.

Forbes Africa - by Oluwatomisin Amokeoja

By Alexis Akwagyiram and Alexander Onukwue for Semafor Africa