Our Banking & Finance, Competition & Antitrust, Mergers & Acquisitions and Trade partners in Johannesburg outline ten reasons to turn your attention to African trade and investment opportunities in the coming year. Some of these reasons include the rise in commodity prices, shifting patterns and alternative financing, digitization and competition law and enforcement.

There was a massive increase in the value of mergers and acquisitions in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) in the first half of 2021. This was due, in part, to the post-pandemic boost, where deals that were delayed last year, were able to proceed in 2021. Also spurring investment in SSA was the launch of the African Continental Free Trade Area, strengthening relationships with Africa’s key trading partners, as well as rising demand in key industry sectors such as materials, power and energy, technology and telecommunications.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has resulted in mass production shutdowns and supply chain disruptions due to port closures in China, causing global ripple effects across all economic sectors in a rare “twin supply-demand shock”. With South Africa having just reported its first cases of COVID-19, Africa is beginning to feel its…