The Malawi Investment and Trade Centre (Mitc) says the coming US-Africa Business Summit slated for next month in Angola is a strategic opportunity to explore further opportunities for the country’s extraction industry.
Mitc chief executive officer Kruger Phiri said this on Thursday, a month before the 17th summit is held from June 23-27 2025 in Luanda, Angola by the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA).
Phiri said the event which will convene over 1 500 participants, including African heads of states, US government officials and business leaders from both continents, provides a timely opportunity for Malawi to showcase her investment opportunities in the mining sector.
“Malawi’s participation in the summit is strategic, aiming to position the country as an attractive destination for investment in key sectors such as agriculture, mining, and tourism,” Phiri said.
He emphasised the importance of private sector players to showcase Malawi’s potential to international investors, aligning with the country’s Agriculture, Tourism, Mining and Manufacturing (ATMM) strategy.
“Business leaders are encouraged to participate actively and leverage this platform to showcase Malawi’s potential on the global stage.” he said.
In a separate interview, Common Market for East and Southern Africa (Comesa) Business Council president James Chimwaza said the summit is an opportunity for African countries to seek clarification on US president Donald Trump administration’s trade policy towards the region.
Chimwaza said: “Having the summit in Angola makes it much closer to countries within the Comesa bloc which could inspire their private sector players to participate actively.
“However, most importantly, this summit provides an opportunity for African leaders to seek clarification from the US on its trade policy following a series of tariff increases that were announced earlier this year.”
According to a CCA communique, the summit will feature activities designed to foster collaboration and investment such as country forums (interactive sessions with high-level officials and business leaders), financing pathways, exhibition centre and discussions on financing access.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Small and Medium Enterprises executive coordinator William Mwale described the summit as an opportunity for Malawi to strategise on how to improve its exports to the US market years after Malawi failed to utilise the African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa).
Since Agoa’s inception in 2000, Malawi has exported goods worth $1.55 billion (about K2.5 trillion) to the US market, with $1.15 billion (about K1.96 trillion) qualifying for Agoa preferences, ranking 15 out of 35 countries in Africa that have most utilised the trade window over the past 23 years.
Malawi’s exports to the US comprise mostly agricultural products such as tobacco, sugar, tea and nuts.
Last year, Malawi joined other African countries to push for an early 10-year extension of the Agoa trade window beyond its expiry date in 2025.
