The 2019 Africa Investment Forum ended on a high note Wednesday in the South African city of Johannesburg with 52 deals worth $40.1 billion in secured investor interest.

Fifty-six boardroom deals valued at $67.6 billion were tabled during the forum which began on Monday – a 44% increase from last year.

During the 2018 edition of the forum, 61 transactions valued at $46.9 billion were tabled for discussions in boardroom sessions and 49 deals worth $38.7 billion secured investment interest.

Presiding over the session: “Unveiling the Boardroom Deals”, African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina said that was the spirit of the Africa Investment Forum: “transactions, transactions, transactions. Deals, deals, deals!”

Over 2,221 participants attended this year’s Forum from 109 countries, 48 from Africa and 61 from outside of Africa. They came from government, the private sector, development finance institutions, commercial banks, and institutional investors.

”The Forum is a platform that will change Africa’s investment landscape,” Chinelo Anohu, the Forum Senior Director said. “Africa is ready to engage on its own terms.”

Key moments of the forum included a $600 million COCOBOD deal for Ghana, for cocoa processing, warehousing and processing; $58 million for the Alithea Identity Fund for women and a concession agreement for the Accra Sky Train, worth $2.6 billion.

The forum focused on projects and advancing deals spanning several sectors, including energy, infrastructure, transport and utilities, industry, agriculture, ICT and telecoms.

“Now the hard work begins to fast-track these deals to financial closure… Africa is bankable,” Adesina said.

African Press Organization