About The Annual AfBC UK - Africa Business Forum

The UK–Africa Trade and Investment Forum (UATIF) is a flagship initiative of the African Business Chamber (AfBC), designed as part of the UK–Africa Cross-Border Trade and Investment Accelerator Programme. It serves as a strategic platform for fostering trade, investment, and business collaboration between the United Kingdom and African economies.

UATIF’s core mission is to support UK businesses, investors, and African enterprises in navigating the complexities of the cross-border trade and investment environment. The programme is tailored to bridge market knowledge gaps, address regulatory challenges, and connect stakeholders to opportunities across diverse sectors including manufacturing, technology, energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and services.

The Forum is anchored on leveraging the UK’s Modern Trade strategy, which prioritises innovation, sustainable practices, and digital trade facilitation. It also aligns with the revised Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) — a UK policy framework that offers preferential trading terms to eligible developing countries, making African exports more competitive in the UK market.

UATIF builds on existing partnerships and protocols between the UK and African nations, while also integrating continental and multilateral frameworks. This includes the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) interregional trade framework, which is reshaping intra-African commerce, and the AfreximBank initiatives, which provide financing, trade facilitation, and capacity-building programmes for African exporters and investors.

By bringing together policymakers, business leaders, financiers, and innovators, UATIF acts as a gateway for cross-border opportunities — helping businesses not only access markets but also establish resilient, sustainable, and mutually beneficial partnerships. Through panel discussions, networking sessions, investment showcases, and policy dialogues, it equips participants with practical insights, funding avenues, and the networks needed to thrive in the evolving UK–Africa trade landscape.

In essence, the UK–Africa Trade and Investment Forum is more than an event — it is a strategic accelerator for economic growth, enterprise development, and global competitiveness between the UK and African markets.