- Dr. Mohamed Fared Saleh stated:
- A strategic approach to securing sustainable supply chains for agricultural crops and essential commodities.
- Work is underway to develop a clear investment structure for the fund in cooperation with relevant international stakeholders.
- Focus on sectors where Egypt holds competitive advantages.
- Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented a range of investment opportunities across several African countries.
- Ministry of Agriculture officials highlighted opportunities in Africa in slaughterhouses, agricultural crops, and animal feed, which offer strong and fast investment returns.
In line with the State’s commitment to expanding its economic presence across the African continent and maximizing investments in priority sectors, Dr. Mohamed Fared, Minister of Investment and Foreign Trade (MIFT Minister), held an expanded meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, in the presence of the Sovereign Fund of Egypt and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones, as well as the Egyptian Commercial Service, to discuss and follow up on developments in establishing an investment fund targeting African markets.
The meeting was attended by Ambassador Mohamed Abu Bakr Saleh, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs; Ambassador Mohamed Karim Sherif, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs; Eng. Mostafa El-Sayyad, Deputy Minister of Agriculture; Dr. Adel Abdel-Azim, Head of the Agricultural Research Center; Major General Hamza Darwish, CEO of Gosoor Company; and representatives of Misr Insurance Holding Company and Misr Life Insurance.
These efforts come as a continuation of a series of meetings held by MIFT, the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Emigration and Egyptian Expatriate's Affairs, in implementation of political directives to strengthen Egypt’s investment presence in Africa.
The meeting reviewed progress in establishing an investment fund aimed at channeling Egyptian investments into African markets. It also examined the map of available investment opportunities across several African countries, alongside discussions on mechanisms for rapid action to seize these opportunities and strengthen Egypt’s presence in key sectors.
Dr. Fared initiated his speech by mentioning the importance of coordinated efforts with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation to enhance Egypt’s investment footprint in Africa through the establishment of an investment fund dedicated to implementing economically viable and development-oriented projects.
Dr. Farid highlighted the importance of leveraging available investment opportunities to achieve the desired growth of the national economy through MIFT’s affiliated entities, including the Sovereign Fund of Egypt, the Egyptian Commercial Service, and the General Authority for Investment and Free Zones.
MIFT Minister noted that this approach represents a strategic pathway to securing sustainable supply chains for agricultural crops and essential commodities, particularly in sectors where Africa holds competitive advantages aligned with Egypt’s development needs.
Moreover, MIFT Minister called for developing the fund’s structure in cooperation with specialized advisors and international institutions, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank).
He further stated that the fund should focus on sectors where Egypt has strong expertise and competitive capabilities, particularly education, agriculture, and the financial sector—especially financial services activities—to generate real added value and ensure sustainability and success.
MIFT Minister directed the Sovereign Fund of Egypt to conduct detailed studies on the opportunities presented by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as to assess initial investment volumes in line with practical realities.
Participants agreed that the Egyptian Commercial Service, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will study available opportunities across Africa where Egypt has comparative advantages.
Ambassador Mohamed Abu Bakr, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for African Affairs, affirmed that the African continent is rich with promising investment opportunities that should be leveraged to serve national economic objectives.
Furthermore, Ambassador Abu Bakr noted that establishing an Egyptian investment entity dedicated to Africa would enhance the ability of Egyptian companies to access these markets and contribute to sustainable and shared development between Egypt and African countries.
Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs presented a range of investment opportunities across several African countries, including Kenya, Madagascar, Angola, Nigeria, Ghana, Guinea, Eritrea, Somalia, Tanzania, Rwanda, and the Congo. These opportunities span sectors such as oil, fisheries and livestock, solar energy, logistics zones, shipping, and logistics services.
Meanwhile, representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation noted that African markets offer significant investment opportunities in slaughterhouses, agricultural crops, and animal feed, which provide quick returns on investment. They emphasized that Egypt possesses the necessary expertise to strongly enter these sectors.
They added that expanding in these sectors would enhance the added value of agricultural products and open new export markets for Egyptian goods, stressing the importance of institutional integration to provide technical and financial support packages, ensuring investment sustainability and maximizing returns from opportunities across the African continent.
In a previous meeting, Mr. Alaa Farouk , Minister of Agriculture and Land Reclamation, stated that this direction represents a key pillar in supporting agricultural production and strengthening food security across Africa, noting that Egypt’s extensive expertise in planning, execution as well as technical and technological management, would open wide prospects for cooperation with African countries.
Mr. Farouk added that coordination among government entities, investment funds, and financial institutions will contribute to establishing major regional projects, accelerating agricultural development in Africa, and reinforcing Egypt’s position as a regional hub for innovation and agri-food industries.
