Qatar Africa Business Forum 2025 Takes Pivotal Role as G20 Sideline

Bridging Gulf-Africa Trade in Africa

For Africa Tech Radio – Business Desk

Johannesburg, 20 November 2025

JOHANNESBURG – As world leaders descend on Nasrec Expo Centre for South Africa’s landmark G20 Summit, a parallel powerhouse is unfolding in the city’s bustling business district: the Qatar Africa Business Forum (QABF) 2025. Timed deliberately as a sideline event to the G20 (November 18-20), the invite-only forum is positioning itself as the go-to nexus for Gulf-Africa economic diplomacy, drawing over 300 executives, investors, and policymakers to forge deals worth an estimated $5 billion in commitments.

Under the patronage of H.E. Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Chairperson of Qatar Museums, QABF 2025 builds on its track record of catalysing cross-continental partnerships. Launched in 2022 on the sidelines of the Doha Forum, the event has evolved into an annual staple, with its 2024 edition in Marrakech amplifying Qatar-Morocco cultural ties while inking $2.3 billion in energy and infrastructure MOUs. This year’s Johannesburg hosting – a first for sub-Saharan Africa – aligns seamlessly with the G20’s “Solidarity, Equality, and Sustainability” theme, emphasizing inclusive trade under the African Union – African Continental Free Trade Area (AU-AfCFTA).

Japie Fullard; CEO, GlencoreAlloys, South Africa and keynote speaker at the Qatar Africa Summit 2025 alongside Lavina Ramkissoon; Global AI Ethics expert while at the Qatar Africa Summit 2025.

Qatar’s opened proceedings with a keynote underscoring the forum’s strategic pivot: “Qatar’s $500 billion sovereign wealth fund sees Africa not as a market, but as a multiplier. Unlocking $3.4 trillion in intra-continental trade by 2035, our investments in logistics, renewables, mining, healthcare and agriculture are about co-creating value, not extracting it.” The forum’s agenda spans two days of closed-door roundtables, sector-specific B2B matchmaking, and a startup showcase, spotlighting opportunities in critical minerals, green hydrogen, and digital infrastructure.

The forum kicked off with a high-stakes plenary with South Africa’s Department of Trade and Investments.

The forum’s crown jewel remains its flagship startup competition, “The Next Seed” – now in its fourth edition under the theme “Invest in a Connected Africa.” Ten finalists from Nigeria, Kenya, and Morocco pitched to a panel of VCs, securing $15 million in seed funding on the spot. Winners gain VIP access to Web Summit Qatar 2026 and exclusive roundtables with G20 sherpas, blending entrepreneurial grit with high-level policy influence.

QABF’s sideline status amplifies its impact, feeding directly into G20 working sessions on trade and investment. South African Trade Minister Parks Tau, addressing a joint QABF-G20 panel, hailed the alignment: “Qatar’s forum isn’t peripheral – it’s the accelerator. Their commitments today will underpin our push for WTO reforms and $300 billion in Africa infrastructure financing at the Leaders’ Summit.” Diplomats from the African Union and Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry also previewed a “Gulf-Africa Compact,” targeting $10 billion in annual FDI flows by 2028, with pilot projects in Rwanda’s drone logistics and Egypt’s solar farms.

Qatar’s $45 Billion Africa Bet. Qatar’s engagement reflects a broader strategy: Africa now accounts for 15% of the Qatar Investment Authority’s (QIA) portfolio, up from 8% in 2020, with holdings in Vodacom, Dangote Cement, and Ethiopian Airlines. Forum participants, including Bloomberg’s Chief Africa Correspondent, Tommie Olivié, project that sustained collaboration could boost bilateral trade from $4.5 billion in 2024 to $12 billion by 2030, fueled by Qatar’s LNG expertise and Africa’s youthful demographics.

QABF 2025 isn’t just a forum; it’s a blueprint for mutual prosperity, proving that in the G20’s shadow, strategic sidelines can steal the show