January 2026
Dear Members and Friends,
We are drawing close to the 5th Canada-Africa Business Conference in Namibia from February 5-6, to which we are excited to welcome top CEOs, investors, entrepreneurs and Ministerial representatives. While the conference is at capacity, we are - as always - holding reserved spaces for members who may still wish to join us.
With the support of our headline conference sponsor, B2Gold, the program is set to convene over 50 representatives from Canadian companies and organizations, alongside counterparts from Namibia and across the continent. Read More
Following the 5th Canada-Africa Business Conference, we will be participating in the Investing in African Mining Indaba in South Africa. Once again, our team will be on-hand to support our members at this Pan-African global gathering: Read More
Additional Upcoming Public Events
Chamber Members' Forum, February 5: Accra
27th Annual African Mining Breakfast and 24th Annual Investing in African Mining Seminar presented by Hatch, March 3: Toronto
Canada-Africa Financing Forum, May 14: Cape Town
Africa Accelerating 2026, October 6-7 will take place in Toronto, followed by a planned program in Kinshasa and Kolwezi.
We are also exploring a conference in Lagos - arising from Africa Accelerating last year. For further queries email nigeria@canadaafrica.ca
Welcoming new Directors to our Board
We are delighted to welcome two new directors this year:
The Hon. Arif Virani, P.C., K.C., Senior Counsel, Torys LLP and the former Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
Dr. Preetee Gopee, Director of Transnational Education and Business Development, Centennial College
Hon. Arif Virani (left) and Dr. Preetee Gopee (centre). Fellow board members Randy McAuley Paula Caldwell St-Onge and Peter Braid, joined by the current and past Presidents at a December meeting (right)
"The Chamber is honoured to welcome a growing and committed board, " said Board Chair Paula Caldwell St-Onge. "Private sector excellence, with insight and understanding on public policy and government issues, are brought together with our directors who serve to advance Canada-Africa trade and investment. Read More
During a meeting last month with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Anita Anand, to which the Chamber was invited, we continued to underscore our commitment to market-led missions to the African continent - as part of our mandate to accelerate trade and investment through world-class networking and information-sharing events. We are honoured to welcome decision-makers in government and public policy as esteemed guests to our programs.
The Chamber is also pleased to respond to requests to provide details on our programming, including to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs in Parliament this week, as well as in the media. Our public event recordings are available here.
Chamber Meeting with H.E. Professor Dora Francisca Edu-Buandoh of the Republic of Ghana in Ottawa this month (left) and a previous meeting of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development (right).
All our programs are made possible thanks to our sponsors, affording us the chance to welcome several hundred guest delegates to our events across Canada and numerous African market, in addition to interactive live broadcasts of our major conferences.
PREVIOUS EVENTS
G20 Leaders’ Summit & Chamber Programming
On the occasion of the first G20 Leaders' Summit on the African continent, the Chamber’s leadership was delighted to attend an Official Reception in Ottawa on the eve of the Summit, hosted by South Africa's High Commissioner to Canada, H.E. Rieaz Shaik. The High Commissioner highlighted the longstanding ties binding Canada and South Africa, the first African country to host the summit. “This is a major milestone, and we are pleased to accelerate trade and investment, in the context of several G20 themes raised" said Paula Caldwell St-Onge, Chair of the Board.
PS Rob Oliphant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs who addressed the event, recognized the Chamber for its work to date.
Left: James Carpenter, Alberta's Senior Representative to Ottawa; H.E. Rieaz Shaik and Board Chair Paula Caldwell St-Onge; Centre: PS Rob Oliphant, Right: PS Oliphant and H.E. Shaik toast the G20.
During the G20 Leaders Summit, Prime Minister Mark Carney and President Cyril Ramaphosa recognized the alignment of Canada’s G7 and South Africa’s G20 priorities, "particularly on economic growth and stability, energy security, AI, and critical minerals supply chains".
As with the Africa Strategy, we look forward to exploring outcomes of the G20 Leaders Summit, as part of our information-sharing mandate, during our upcoming programming. Arising from the official announcements the Chamber will host a Canada-Africa Financing Forum on May 14, 2026.
UPCOMING:
The Chamber has been advised of these upcoming events which may be of interest to members:
Fourth Edition of the Invest in Ethiopia High-Level Business Forum, March 26–27, 2026: Addis Ababa Read More or email ethiopia@canadaafrica.ca
Cameroon-Canada International Economic Forum, June 10-20, 2026: Toronto. Read More
60th Zambia International Trade Fair (ZITF), July 1-7 2026: Ndola. Read More
IN REVIEW
4th Canada-Africa Business Conference, September 29-30, 2025: Lusaka, Zambia
Last year Canadian companies, joined by hundreds of African counterparts, convened for the 4th Canada-Africa Business Conference in Lusaka, sponsored by Hatch.
Canada is Zambia's largest foreign investor. Sectors covered during the program included natural resource development, financing, energy, infrastructure and healthcare.
President Hakainde Hichilema's message to the conference conveyed the historic ties binding Canada and Zambia. Hatch Vice Chair, Joe Lombard, delivered the keynote private sector address. Read More, including on our detailed program, the sponsors who made it all possible, and photos from the conference held at the Lusaka InterContinental (above).
The program was followed by our VIP Reception (above), addressed by Canada's High Commissioner, H.E. Emily Burns. Zambia's Minister of Trade Commerce, Trade and Industry, Hon. Chipoka Mulenga (right), offered a toast to ongoing collaboration, thanking the Chamber for choosing Zambia for the 4th Canada-Africa Business Conference.
Canadian High Commissioner to South Africa, H.E. James Christoff - who will address the upcoming 5th Canada-Africa Business Conference - continues to underscore Canada’s commitment as a commercial partner in African markets. "The Canada-Africa Business Conferences are a direct outgrowth of Canada’s renewed commitment to advancing trade and investment in Africa, underpinned by the spirit of partnership embodied in Canada’s Africa Strategy and driven by the need for economic diversification amid global change," says H.E. Christoff.
Canada-Africa Forum, September 30th
Our Canada-Africa Forum in Lilayi on September 30th comprised a private program for members and guests to engage on trade and investment opportunities, as well as the role of the private sector in realizing the objectives of the Africa Strategy through trade and investment. Read More
Africa Accelerating - In Review: September 8-10
We emerged from a dynamic Africa Accelerating program last month across two Canadian cities and welcomed new members.
We were delighted to convene leading CEOs, entrepreneurs, Ministerial voices, as well as industry experts over three days in Toronto and Hamilton, thanks to our generous sponsors, including Headline Chamber Sponsor Elephant Trade-Services DRC and our gracious hosts in Toronto, Goodmans LLP. Read More
Above: Our Africa Accelerating 2025 VIP Reception (left) and Opening Ceremony (right) welcomed messages from Hon. Maropene Ramokgopa, Minister in the Presidency for Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Republic of South Africa, PS Rob Oliphant Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Canada, B2Gold's Neil Reeder (Vice President, Government Relations. Neil Reeder) for the private keynote address and delegates representing various markets - including but not limited to - Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Kenya.
Below: Delegates from four African markets visited the City of Hamilton on September 10th, during our full-day program, which included a visit to Trident Engineering Institute and Nexim Healthcare Consultants, founded by Chamber member and sponsor, Henry Lukenge. Read More
The Chamber is especially delighted to welcome new members and guests from the private sector to all events.
Ahead of the 4th Canada-Africa Business Conference, Elba Afrika joined our organization, strengthening the Chamber’s growing network of leading organizations driving trade and investment between Canada and African markets. Read More
View the full list of 2025 Chamber programming events here
Maximize your corporate member benefits!
If you would like to request a meeting to discuss maximizing your participation and member benefits, please don’t hesitate to contact us: members@canadaafrica.ca. Thank you to all who’ve engaged thus far, at recent meetings online and in-person, across Canada and on the African continent.
Our annual President’s Report, covers our event programming, recognizing the outcomes, successes and dozens of key people and companies who made it possible. Download the most recent 2025 Report.
Thank you once again to our generous high-level sponsoring supporters featured in the most recent edition: Chamber Headline Sponsor, Elephant Trade-Services DRC, alongside Major Sponsors including 6ix, APO Group, B2Gold, Bishworld, Cypher Environmental, Hatch, EY, Lambano Full Services, Goodmans LLP, MineAfrica Inc., Nexim Healthcare Consultants Inc and SDF Financial.
We do not receive government grant funding and thank our generous supporters for ensuring we can deliver our mission - as a proudly independent Not-for-Profit organization, dedicated to accelerating trade and investment through world-class networking and information-sharing events.
It is for good reason that decision-makers from Presidents and Prime Ministers, through to captains of industry and the next generation of business leaders, continue to choose the Canada-Africa Chamber of Business - to engage, announce new initiatives, and deepen private sector collaboration for economic growth.
Best wishes from all of us!
Garreth Bloor (President), Ateau Zola (Vice President, Natural Resources), Susan Namulindwa (Vice President, Canada), Jacques NdoutouMvé (Vice President, Africa)
Sebastian Spio-Garbrah (Past Chair & AfCFTA Free Trade Unit, Accra), Toye Abioye (Business Development and Partnerships) and Karen Woolcock (Senior Associate: In-Bound Delegations/KY Concierge); Haba-Maria Konaré (Office of the President)
About Us
President, Operations, Membership, Vice Presidents and Associates (queries@canadaafrica.ca)
Board of Directors (board@canadaafrica.ca)
Council of Senior Advisors (council@canadaafrica.ca)
Think Tank Perspectives and Free Trade Unit (thinktank@canadaafrica.ca / freetrade@canadaafrica.ca)
For more information, please contact:
The Canada-Africa Chamber of Business Head Office
55 Bloor Street West, RTO Manulife Building, PO Box 19553
Toronto, Ontario M4W 3T9 Tel: 647-667-1223 Email: members@canadaafrica.ca