London, October 14–15, 2025 — Africa’s industrial future will take center stage at AFSIC – Investing in Africa 2025, as the UK’s flagship development initiative, Manufacturing Africa, hosts a high-impact investment session: the Manufacturing Deals Pitch Room. This 90-minute showcase will feature a select group of investment-ready African manufacturing businesses pitching directly to a curated audience of global investors.
A Strategic Platform for Industrial Transformation
The Deals Pitch Room is more than a presentation—it’s a strategic matchmaking platform designed to accelerate deal closure, foster investor confidence, and catalyze industrial growth across Africa. Each participating company has undergone rigorous investment readiness support from Manufacturing Africa, ensuring that only the highest-potential opportunities are presented.
Thomas Pascoe, Team Leader of Manufacturing Africa, emphasizes the program’s mission:
“We aim to catalyze economic transformation by enabling African manufacturing companies to attract the foreign direct investment (FDI) they need to scale, create jobs, and boost local production capacity. Manufacturing jobs are a powerful lever for poverty alleviation—moving people from informal work into structured, regulated employment with real career paths.”
The UK’s New Approach to Africa
Manufacturing Africa plays a central role in delivering the UK government’s New Approach to Africa, which seeks to deepen economic ties, promote inclusive growth, and highlight the UK’s value proposition through trade missions, business summits, and diaspora engagement. The initiative is backed by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) and aligns with broader UK efforts to support sustainable development and private sector-led growth across the continent.
British International Investment (BII), the UK’s development finance institution, is also a key partner at AFSIC 2025, sponsoring networking events and supporting investor engagement. BII’s involvement underscores the UK’s commitment to mobilizing capital for impactful ventures in Africa’s industrial sectors.
Building Investor-Ready Enterprises
Manufacturing Africa provides tailored transaction facilitation support to African companies, addressing critical bottlenecks that hinder capital inflows. This includes:
- Strategic business planning
- Market assessments and feasibility studies
- Corporate finance advisory
- Development impact evaluations
The program also conducts sector-wide transformation studies to identify high-impact opportunities and inform policy development. These studies—covering areas such as alternative proteins, critical minerals, and agro-processing—are publicly available on manufacturingafrica.org, serving as a knowledge resource for investors, policymakers, and entrepreneurs.
What to Expect at the Deals Pitch Room
Delegates attending the Manufacturing Deals Pitch Room can expect:
- Direct pitches from vetted African manufacturing companies
- High-potential investment opportunities across diverse sectors
- Facilitated networking with investors, advisors, and UK-backed institutions
- Insights into the UK’s strategic support for industrial growth in Africa
AFSIC itself is a powerhouse platform for investment mobilization. Led by African Investments Limited, it operates award-winning digital tools like the African Investments Dashboard and the Africa Business Opportunities Dashboard, which connect global investors with curated opportunities across all African markets.
A Vision for CEMAC and Beyond
For countries in the CEMAC region (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and Gabon), this initiative represents a gateway to global capital and industrial partnerships. By aligning with UK-backed platforms like Manufacturing Africa and AFSIC, CEMAC businesses can gain visibility, attract strategic investment, and integrate into continental value chains.
The collaboration between UK institutions, African enterprises, and global investors is reshaping Africa’s industrial landscape. It’s a bold vision—one where manufacturing becomes a driver of inclusive growth, economic resilience, and long-term prosperity.
