By AfricaHeadline Newsroom | Luanda
Angolan President João Lourenço officially opened the 17th U.S.-Africa Business Summit on Monday morning, June 23, 2025, in Luanda, delivering a wide-ranging keynote address that framed Africa as a credible partner in global growth, innovation, and energy transition.
By Nthabi NEO Lesufi, Journalist
AfricaHeadline.com
Speaking before more than 1,500 delegates, including heads of state, senior U.S. government officials and business leaders from both continents, Lourenço called for a “new model of partnership” between Africa and the United States—one grounded in investment, shared prosperity and strategic trust.
“The economic ties between Africa and the United States have enormous potential to grow significantly,” President Lourenço said. “Africa is no longer just a continent of untapped resources. It is a continent of transformative decisions and concrete projects.”
In a speech marked by realism and optimism, the Angolan leader urged the United States to rethink its relationship with Africa by moving away from traditional aid paradigms and embracing what he described as a logic of ambition and private investment.
“Africa is ready. Our governments are committed to facilitating investment. Our private sector is prepared to form alliances that generate profits—and shared prosperity,” Lourenço said.
He pointed to recent economic reforms across the continent, particularly in Angola, where the economy grew 3.5% in the first quarter of 2025, as evidence of Africa’s resilience and progress.
Highlighting major regional infrastructure projects, Lourenço singled out the Lobito Corridor—a transcontinental railway linking Angola’s Atlantic coast to Tanzania’s Indian Ocean ports—as a game-changer for intra-African trade and logistics.
He also underscored Africa’s accelerating digital transformation, fuelled by a tech-savvy and youthful population, with over 70% of Africans under the age of 30.
“The future of global innovation will bear Africa’s imprint,” he noted. “Start-ups and tech platforms are emerging daily, driven by African creativity and entrepreneurial spirit.”
While welcoming U.S. interest in Africa’s strategic and critical minerals, Lourenço warned against a narrow extractive focus. He urged American investors to explore opportunities in renewables, agribusiness, manufacturing, ICT, automotive, and tourism.
“We expect more than capital. We expect partnerships that respect our sovereignty, promote knowledge transfer, and generate quality jobs,” he stressed.
Angola’s Business Climate “Open and Investor-Friendly”
The President assured investors that Angola is actively improving its business environment. Measures to reduce bureaucracy, enhance transparency and strengthen investor protection are already yielding results.
“U.S. companies operating in Africa, including Angola, are discovering a more open business climate. Our governments are not only regulators—they are facilitators,” Lourenço said.
Concluding his remarks, President Lourenço emphasised that Africa and the United States, working together, can be part of the solution to two of the world’s most pressing challenges—the food crisis and the energy crisis.
“The U.S. was never involved in the colonisation of African countries. That gives it a unique position to build a decomplexified, strategic partnership with Africa,” he added. “If we join forces, we hold the key to global solutions.”
The President ended his speech by inviting delegates to experience the warmth of Luanda and the hospitality of the Angolan people:
“Enjoy our music, our dance, our cuisine and the beauty of our land. Make yourselves at home.”
With those closing words, President João Lourenço formally declared the 17th U.S.-Africa Business Summit open.
