The fourth Annual AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF 2025) formally opens today in St. George’s, Grenada, bringing together government leaders, financiers, entrepreneurs and development stakeholders from Africa and the Caribbean.
Co‑hosted by the Government of Grenada and the African Export‑Import Bank (Afreximbank), the two-day forum runs from 28–29 July under the theme: “Resilience and Transformation: Enhancing Africa‑Caribbean Economic Cooperation in an Era of Global Uncertainty.”
This year’s forum will spotlight several high-impact themes critical to strengthening Africa-Caribbean ties. Key focus areas for ACTIF2025 include charting a unified Free Trade Area, with discussions geared toward making a compelling business and economic case for an Africa-Caribbean Free Trade Area.
The agenda also prioritizes strengthening the Africa-Caribbean Business Council to enhance its role as a core platform for commercial and private sector collaboration. Additionally, the forum will explore stimulating the creative economy, encouraging cultural and creative ventures that can generate commercial value across both regions.
Lastly, there will be strong emphasis on opening up the skies and ocean by promoting improved air and sea connectivity to facilitate trade, tourism and people-to-people exchange.
Afreximbank’s Flagship Platform for Intra‑Regional Partnership
ACTIF was launched in 2022 as a strategic initiative to forge stronger economic and cultural ties between Africa and CARICOM states. Over its first three editions, the forum has facilitated public–private collaboration, resulting in MoUs and deals exceeding US $4 billion and built momentum toward establishing a formal Africa-Caribbean trade corridor.
Afreximbank cites projections from the International Trade Centre estimating Africa‑Caribbean trade could reach US $1.8 billion by 2028, driven by sectors including minerals and metals, processed foods, transportation, agribusiness, energy, logistics, creative industries, tourism, health, manufacturing and financial services.
ACTIF 2025 expects around 1,000 delegates, including Heads of State, senior officials, investors, development finance institutions, entrepreneurs, SMEs and diaspora representatives. The program includes B2B and B2G meetings, panel dialogues, investment showcases and sector-specific expos.
Elevating African Entrepreneurs and Innovation
A key strategic objective of ACTIF is to elevate African entrepreneurship, exposing Caribbean partners to African-led businesses spearheading innovation.
Afreximbank has been at the forefront of supporting entrepreneurial growth through initiatives like the Creative Africa Nexus, the Intra‑African Trade Champions programme and the Pan‑African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), all of which undergird the bank’s support for SMEs, cross‑border investment and digital integration.
The forum also offers access to transactional finance, incubation support and opportunities to showcase African-led value chains across sectors from fintech to agritech and creative industries.
Afreximbank is riding a wave of institutional strength ahead of the forum: as of Q1 2025, its net profit hit US $215.4 million, up from US $178.7 million a year prior. Total assets stood at approximately US $42.7 billion, with equity at US $7.5 billion and robust liquidity ratios.
Under the stewardship of Professor Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Afreximbank, ending with Afreximbank’s Annual Meetings in Abuja in June, the bank vastly expanded its cross‑regional trade capabilities, financed critical infrastructure projects and championed the adoption of AfCFTA‑aligned payment systems.
The Road Ahead: From Vision to Trade
As ACTIF 2025 unfolds, stakeholders will watch keenly whether it can convert vision into action: forging new trade linkages, formalising investment pipelines and elevating African entrepreneurs onto the Caribbean stage.
For African business leaders, the forum represents a rare opportunity to position their enterprises within a broader Atlantic supply chain and attract investment for scaling. As Prof. Oramah emphasised, in an era of global uncertainty, “strategic partnerships, enhanced logistics, and greater access to capital” are indispensable to forging a resilient transatlantic economic corridor.
