By Shruti Menon Seeboo
Mauritius is preparing to take centre stage on the global business calendar this July, when it hosts the 18th U.S.-Africa Business Summit — an annual gathering that has become one of the most significant platforms for driving trade, investment, and deal-making between the United States and the African continent. At a media briefing held on 6 May at Macarty House, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires Craig Halbmaier and Florizelle Liser, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Corporate Council on Africa (CCA), set out the scale and ambition of the event, and made clear why Mauritius was chosen to welcome it.
The Summit, which will take place at a purpose-built venue spanning more than two kilometres in the north of the island, is expected to attract approximately 2,500 participants — including African heads of state, senior members of the U.S. government, chief executives and C-suite leaders from both sides of the Atlantic, representatives of multilateral organisations, and international financial institutions.
Florizelle Liser, President and CEO of CCA: “Mauritius is a living example of what Africa can achieve”
Last year’s edition, held in Angola, drew 2,800 attendees — well beyond the 2,200 projected — and saw 4.2 billion US dollars in deals signed and launched. The bar, Liser made clear, has been set high.
“Last year in Angola, we had seven heads of state, two vice presidents, and a prime minister,” she said. “We also expect African ministers — ministers of commerce and trade, energy, finance, ICT, and health — from as many as 30 African countries or more. And on the US side, we expect a very high-level government delegation from the key agencies that drive trade and investment with the African continent.“
For Liser, who has spent more than three decades at the helm of CCA — an organisation exclusively focused on promoting US-Africa trade and investment — the choice of Mauritius was a deliberate and meaningful one. Whilst a number of other countries had expressed interest in hosting, Mauritius stood out for a specific reason: it is, she argued, a living example of what Africa can achieve. The island’s transformation from an economy built almost entirely on sugar to a sophisticated financial hub connecting the continent to global markets made it not merely a convenient venue, but a powerful symbol of African economic potential.
“I remind people that this is not the U.S.-Mauritius Summit,” she said. “This is the U.S.-Africa Business Summit. And Mauritius is going to be a fantastic host. You are an example of what Africa can do — and what African countries can do.”
She noted that Mauritian companies are themselves actively investing across the continent — in Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Botswana, Kenya, and beyond — reinforcing the country’s role not simply as a host nation, but as a genuine gateway to African economies. The Summit’s agenda, developed in collaboration with the Mauritian government and CCA’s Board of Directors, will span the key sectors that define the U.S.-Africa economic relationship: energy, infrastructure, ICT and digital transformation, fintech, healthcare, agribusiness, and finance. Sessions will also address the role of small and medium enterprises, women entrepreneurs, critical minerals, and the expanding frontier of artificial intelligence on the continent. Major technology companies — including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon — are expected to attend.
The question of the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) — the U.S. trade legislation that allows African products to enter the American market duty-free and quota-free — loomed large in the discussion. AGOA lapsed in September 2025, and whilst it was extended in February of this year, that extension runs only to the end of 2026. Liser, who previously served as Assistant U.S. Trade Representative for Africa, was unequivocal: a short-term extension is not enough. The continent needs certainty, and companies need long-term horizons to plan production cycles, secure orders, and build sustainable export businesses.
“We at CCA completely agree that we need a long-term renewal of AGOA — at least 10 years — and we need it sooner rather than later,” she said. “It will be mutually beneficial: good for African countries, companies, entrepreneurs, and workers, but also good for American companies, workers, and consumers.”
Craig Halbmaier, U.S. Embassy Chargé d’Affaires: “We have very clear orders from Washington – this is to be a grand success”
The Summit will also serve as a springboard for deeper commercial engagement between the United States and Mauritius specifically. Halbmaier noted that the momentum in the bilateral relationship is already building. Just three weeks before the briefing, the Mauritian Foreign Minister held substantive talks with U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, while the Minister of Commerce and Industry met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer — and announced the start of negotiations on a reciprocal trade agreement with the United States.
“We have very clear orders from Washington,” said Halbmaier. “This is to be a grand success — and then we need to follow up and follow through. Our embassies are already planning follow-up meetings, to see what deals have been struck, what partnerships have been formed, and how we can help advance them.”
The Summit will draw significant media attention, with confirmed partners including CNBC Africa, CNN, Bloomberg, Africa 24, and ABC — the American broadcaster that covered the Angola Summit and will produce a series on Mauritius to be aired across the United States, covering both the business landscape and the country’s tourism offering. The Mauritian press, Liser emphasised, will play an equally important role in amplifying what happens.
Beyond the deals and the diplomacy, both speakers were keen to highlight the economic ripple effect the event will generate locally. With thousands of high-net-worth delegates, government ministers, and executives descending on the island, the benefits are expected to extend well beyond the conference venue — to restaurants, retail, transport, and hospitality businesses across Mauritius. Some delegates, Liser noted with a smile, are already booking extended family stays.
With the United States preparing to celebrate its 250th anniversary on July 4th, and the FIFA World Cup co-hosted by the US drawing global eyes to North America, the timing of the summit — at the end of July — carries its own symbolic charge. “There’s going to be a great moment, lots of momentum driving this all forward,” Halbmaier said.
The Hon. Aadil Ameer Meea: “The CCA is a vital bridge between the U.S. and African markets”
The Hon. Aadil Ameer Meea, Minister of Industry, SMEs and Cooperatives emphasised that the gathering was a sign of “serious intent” rather than a mere formality, noting that the proposal made in Rwanda a year ago has now become a reality. Speaking from McCarty House, he drew a poignant link to history, reminding guests that George Washington appointed the first U.S. Consul to Mauritius in 1794. However, he stressed that while history is a strong foundation, the current mission is to build upon it and “move from goodwill to business, from dialogue to delivery, from interest to investment, and from contact to contract.” He shared insights from his recent mission to Washington, D.C., where he engaged with Congress and the World Bank to deliver a clear message: “Mauritius is a serious partner” seeking a trade relationship built on “mutual benefit, predictability, and long-term engagement.”
The Minister highlighted the CCA as a vital bridge between the U.S and African markets, noting that while the government can open doors, it is the private sector that must “deliver the investment, the exports, the jobs, and the partnerships.” Regarding the upcoming 2026 U.S.–Africa Business Summit, he asserted that Mauritius does not want a mere event, but a “serious business platform” that generates “real business leads, real pipelines, and real partnerships that continue long after the closing dinner.” He made it clear that the success of the Summit would not be measured by attendance figures, but by the quality of deals and projects that continue to develop after the delegates leave the conference room.
Concluding with a strong value proposition, the Minister described Mauritius as a “trusted platform for structuring, financing, and managing business into Africa and the Indian Ocean.” He noted that for American firms, the island offers a stable and predictable legal system, while for African companies, it acts as a “gateway to American capital, technology, and markets.” He called on the CCA to bring serious American business interest to the July Summit, reinforcing that Mauritius has the commitment and leadership to deliver an outstanding outcome. His final message was a definitive call to action: “Mauritius is open for business. Mauritius is connected to Africa. Mauritius is a trusted partner.”
Jean-Raymond Boulle, Vice-Chairman of the CCA: “Mauritius is much more than a financial hub“
Mauritius beat off strong competition to host the event this year, and the man who is widely credited with bringing the event to Mauritius is Jean-Raymond Boulle, Vice-Chairman of the Corporate Council on Africa, who is a distinguished global businessman with an unwavering devotion to his homeland.
In a statement, Jean-Raymond Boulle commented: “The CCA U.S.-Africa Business Summit will be the most important occasion in trade and investment for our nation since the AGOA itself. It will be our opportunity to demonstrate why Mauritius remains Africa’s undisputed commercial gateway. The Summit will also mark the moment when the world rediscovers Mauritius as Africa’s premier platform for financing, developing and de-risking the projects that will power the continent’s next quarter-century of growth, also providing a much-needed stimulus to intra-Africa trade.”
“We should take the opportunity to showcase Mauritius as being much more than a financial hub. We are the custodians of one of the planet’s most admired conservation success stories and a global pioneer of the Blue Sea Economy. We have brought six bird species back from the brink of extinction, including the Mauritius kestrel and the echo parakeet – achievements that National Geographic calls “amongst the greatest conservation victories in history”. These are not just environmental credentials; they are powerful investment credentials. Global capital – sovereign wealth funds, impact investors, development finance institutions – is actively seeking bankable projects that deliver both strong financial returns and measurable SDG impact,” he concluded.
