2021 U.S.-Africa Business Center Annual Report

The year 2021 had been a year of economic recovery across the world including in Africa where the Covid-19 pandemic has been particularly damaging for the supply chain and reversed over two decades of economic gains on the continent. Increased cooperation between governments and the private sector had been witnessed. The U.S.-Africa Business Center has continued to serve as the leading advocacy organization focused on the policy and regulatory environment that is shaping Africa’s commercial links with the world.

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In 2021, the USAfBC issued a series of key Policy recommendations for the New U.S. Administration, resounding that the future of the U.S. export-driven economy lies in Africa. After a series of engagements with key officials and conversations with NSC and government leadership, the administration announced President Biden’s intention to host a U.S.-Africa Leaders’ Summit in 2022, which was the Center’s #1 recommendation.

The Center advanced new bodies of work in corporate citizenship, as we launched and published an in-depth study on U.S.-Kenya Trade Negotiations: Implications for the Future of the U.S.-Africa Trade Relationship. We also partnered with Covington to launch the Status Update on AfCFTA, of which two editions have been produced. These were created in consultation with the AfCFTA Secretariat, which members met with in December, where the second edition of the newsletter was presented to H.E. Wamkele Mene and the AU delegation.

The Center also worked on a number of regional policy issues, including the launch of the Angola and U.S.-Burkina Faso Investment Guides respectively, and in October 2021 the latter was introduced in a hybrid event by H.E. President Kabore of Burkina Faso as well as both the US and Burkina Faso ambassadors. As part of our continued commitment to U.S.-Angola relations, we also launched the Washington DC based U.S.-Angola Working Group as part of a long-term effort to support business investment opportunities in the Angolan market.

Under the U.S.-South Africa Business Council, the Chamber provided the South African government with comments on the amendment of regulations to the Promotion of Access to Information Act (POPIA) regarding the protection of South African citizens’ personal data. The council hosted events to keep members abreast with happenings in the South African Market

Through our Task forces, we facilitated dialogues on the digital economy, trade, investment, and life sciences & wellness. Through the industry coalitions we convened, we raised and resolved policy and regulatory issues, delivering a substantial return on investment to our members and policy wins on a wide range of matters, including through shaping the Prosper Africa initiative.

With these milestones as a backdrop, the USAfBC continued to expand its impact on U.S.-Africa relations. We hosted 5 heads of state, 13 ministers, and 16 Ambassadors. We convened major events including the Advance with Africa AmCham Summit, two CEMAC regulation Stakeholder Conferences in collaboration with CCA, the U.S.-Ghana Business Forum, the Virtual Private Sector AGOA Forum and our annual flagship event, the 2022 Africa Digital Economy Summit.

In 2022, the center will focus on areas of excellence in the policy space by doubling down on its leadership role in the trade, investment, digital economy, sustainability, life sciences and wellness areas. We will continue to build out the U.S.-Angola Working Group, celebrate the 10th anniversary of the U.S.-South Africa Business Council and have a keen eye toward Algeria, Angola, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, and South Africa.