By Etienne Mainimo Mengnjo
Major projects and initiatives aimed at positioning Africa at the center of global innovation have been highlighted during Unstoppable Africa 2025, held in New York City. This year’s event brought together CEOs to discuss Africa’s role in the global economy, marking a significant step for the continent’s stakeholders in developing local AI solutions to address pressing challenges.
Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa, founder and executive chairman of Econet Global and Cassava Technologies, announced plans to establish Africa’s first network of AI factories.
Powered by NVIDIA GPUs, Masiyiwa said the facilities are expected to be completed by the end of 2026, setting the stage for homegrown innovation and accelerating Africa’s participation in the global AI economy.
Meta also made an ambitious announcement. Kojo Boakye, vice president and public policy director for Africa, the Middle East, and Turkey, signaled upcoming investment opportunities in Africa’s digital ecosystem, highlighting the company’s confidence in the continent’s growing tech and AI potential.
These initiatives reflect a shift toward locally led solutions and long-term planning, focusing on robust systems, the adoption of advanced technologies, and capital investment to drive regional integration and global competitiveness.
Unstoppable Africa 2025, the flagship event of the Global Africa Business Initiative (GABI), also brought together business leaders, African heads of state, global investors, and international institutions to accelerate the continent’s economic transformation.
New commitments in infrastructure, advanced technologies, and investment underscored the growing confidence in Africa’s private sector.
In the financial services sector, the Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), in collaboration with African pension and social security institutions, launched the “Africa Savings for Growth” initiative.
This initiative seeks to explore ways to channel African institutional savings into longer-term investments that support inclusive growth. It builds on AFC’s 2025 analysis, which identifies at least $1.17 trillion in institutional assets across Africa, much of which remains allocated to short-term, low-yield instruments.
The Global Africa Business Initiative also launched two new GABI Action Pathways focused on digital transformation and healthcare, aiming to connect businesses, governments, and innovators in sectors critical to Africa’s competitiveness and resilience.
The Healthcare Action Pathway aims to improve access to medical services through digital tools, build stronger regional supply chains, attract investment, and support the growth of Africa’s healthcare workforce.
Meanwhile, the Digital Transformation Action Pathway focuses on upgrading government services, expanding internet access and digital infrastructure, training people for future jobs, assisting small businesses with technology and funding, and promoting responsible use of AI and data.
Discussions also centered on new partnerships, Africa’s digital growth, and the continent’s thriving sports and creative industries, including music and fashion.
Notable attendees included acclaimed director Ava DuVernay; 15-year-old climate and health champion Ellyanne Wanjiku Chlystun-Githae; Paralympic champion Marcus Samuelsson; and international singer-songwriter Tiwa Savage, who performed at the event. Their contributions echoed the forum’s central message of empowerment, innovation, and sustainable progress across the continent.
Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations Amina J. Mohammed stated, “When people say Africa is resilient, they’ve got a different definition of resilience than we have. Africa’s resilience is about how we build on what we have and how we strengthen our markets, our economies, and our democracies. Unstoppable Africa is a space to remind ourselves that this is who we are; it is our narrative, on our terms that we go forth.”
Unstoppable Africa is the leading African business forum held outside the continent. Hosted by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union, the event took place just ahead of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
Unstoppable Africa aims to accelerate the continent’s economic transformation and empower Africa to take a leading role in shaping the markets of the future.
