Guidance

Start investing in African businesses

Find out about investment opportunities and support from the UK government. Learn how to manage risk, invest ethically, and access guidance on African countries.

• From: Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade and Department for Business and Trade
• Published: 18 November 2022
• Last updated: 29 April 2024
  Show all updates

  1. 29 April 2024

     Guidance reviewed and updated.

  2. 18 November 2022

     First published.

Research your market

Learn about the investment markets in Africa, which sectors are best for investment and stay up to date with travel advice. Find out more:

• research export opportunities and prepare your business for new markets from the GREAT website

• trade and investment factsheets between the UK and partner countries

• the UK’s development finance institution British International Investment’s strategic approach to growth sectors

• UK-Africa trade agreements including with trading blocs

• foreign travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office for countries and territories

Get help from the UK government

If you are a UK business interested in investing in Africa, contact Growth Gateway for advice on:

• how to make useful business connections in your chosen market
• how to start investing

You can also get advice if:

• you are already investing in Africa and would like to expand
• you need help fixing problems you are having with investing in Africa

Find networking and investment opportunities

Discover opportunities available to UK investors in African countries:

• learn about green sector priorities and get country profiles from UK-Africa green trade and investment opportunities

• apply to be considered a qualified investor in projects sourced through Cala Capital

• search a list of trade missions related to ‘Africa’ (you will need to register for each event you are interested in)

• read the Partnership for Investment and Growth in Africa (PIGA) investment opportunity study (PDF, 1.66 MB) for Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique and Zambia

• invest in international aid and development projects with Lendahand

• read guidance on aid funded business for UK companies on winning business from international aid and development projects

• learn how Manufacturing Africa provides opportunities to invest in the manufacturing sector in Africa

• read about how Energise Africa gives you the chance to make ethical investments that fight climate change

• apply to become a P4G partnership for green impact investment projects by submitting a concept note

Learn the risks of investing abroad

Learn the risks of doing business abroad, including trade barriers and how to avoid them:

• overseas business risk guidance, with country-specific information on political, economic and security risks when trading abroad

• find trade barriers: search by sector or country

• read guidance on tax on foreign income, including from foreign investment

• learn how to set up a business abroad

• read guidance on how to find customers, navigate new routes to market and win bids to grow your business as you prepare to sell into a new country

• find new customers around the world (you need to register for a great.gov.uk account to access this)

Find out more: Growth Gateway: supporting two-way trade and investment between the UK and Africa.