The Asili Initiative

Canada and South Africa are strengthening cooperation in agriculture and agrifood—and the opportunity goes beyond simply trading products.

In 2026, a South African agricultural delegation visited Saskatchewan to explore Canadian agricultural technology, machinery and innovation.
The potential is broader: technology partnerships, joint ventures, value-added processing and new agricultural value chains.

South Africa brings a sophisticated, export-oriented agricultural sector and access to regional markets. Canada brings deep expertise in agricultural technology, machinery and innovation.

The opportunity lies where these strengths meet.
What could Canada–South Africa agricultural partnerships build next?

Canada is mobilising.
The first-ever Canada Investment Summit, held in Toronto on September 14–15, brought together investors from nearly 30 countries and resulted in nearly C$500 billion in new investment commitments to Canadian businesses, infrastructure and strategic sectors.

The focus is clear: energy, critical minerals, AI, infrastructure, defence, technology and supply chains.

For Canada, this is about attracting capital and building domestic capacity.
For Africa, it raises another question:
Where are the opportunities for African businesses and investors to participate in the supply chains, partnerships and markets emerging from Canada’s investment priorities?

The Canada–Africa opportunity isn’t only about Canadian capital going to Africa.
It is also about two-way investment, trade and partnerships.


Sources: Government of Canada; Prime Minister of Canada.

Mauritania’s gold story is bigger than you might think.

Often overlooked in conversations about Africa’s major economies, Mauritania is a significant mining country. Gold, alongside iron ore, is one of the pillars of its export economy. In 2024, Mauritania produced approximately 21.95 tonnes of gold, with major production coming from the Tasiast mine and other mining operations.

And the trade numbers tell an even more interesting story.
In 2025, Canada imported CAD $1.34 billion worth of goods from Mauritania, a 32.1% increase from the previous year. Much of that growth was driven by increased gold shipments. Gold imports from Mauritania, alongside those from South Africa, were major contributors to Canada’s growing imports from Africa.

Mauritania is a reminder that Africa’s trade story is far more diverse than the countries that dominate the headlines.
Which other overlooked African markets should we put under the spotlight?

Canada is looking beyond its traditional trade relationships. But diversification isn’t simply about finding new markets—it’s about building stronger ones.

Africa has much more to offer Canada than raw materials.

From processed agricultural products and creative goods to digital services, manufactured products and investment, African businesses can be active participants in the Canadian market.

And perhaps the biggest opportunity lies beyond imports and exports:

**Joint ventures. Co-production. Shared value chains.**

As Canada diversifies its global trade, the opportunity is for Canada and Africa to move from simply trading with each other to **building with each other.**

What could a stronger two-way Canada–Africa trade relationship look like?

Canada-Africa: Business is moving in both directions.

The Canada–Africa relationship is increasingly translating into concrete business activity — from investment and infrastructure to fintech and cross-border payments.
In 2026, Canadian-linked activity has included:

NuRAN Wireless securing a proposed US$12M financing facility to accelerate mobile and broadband infrastructure across Africa, alongside its launch in Côte d’Ivoire.

Allied Gold, a Canadian-based gold producer, securing a US$295M strategic investment to advance growth initiatives across its African portfolio in Côte d’Ivoire, Mali and Ethiopia.
And the movement is not one-way.

Nomba has established regulated Canadian payment infrastructure to connect Canadian-dollar flows with African markets, while 🇰🇪 WapiPay secured a Canadian Money Services Business licence to provide payment, foreign exchange and money-transfer services.

LemFi also became registered as a Payment Service Provider with the Bank of Canada in 2026.
These developments point to something bigger: Canada–Africa trade is not simply about Canadian companies entering Africa. African businesses are increasingly building pathways into Canada too.

So, what could happen when more businesses on both sides see Canada–Africa trade as a two-way opportunity?

Here’s the answer to last week’s Trade Trivia!
Did you guess wheat?

Canada’s agricultural exports play an important role in trade with African markets, with wheat among the key products connecting the two regions.

How well do you know Canada–Africa trade?