COMESA Launches Investment Map to Boost Investment Flows and Support Regional Integration

Nairobi,26 March 2026:
The Regional Investment Agency (RIA) of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) today launched a new investment map highlighting the top investment opportunities across its 21 member states. The initiative aims to facilitate both international and intra-regional investment flows, improve access to investment opportunities for local and global business communities, and represents a strategic step towards enhancing regional economic integration and attracting high-quality investments. COMESA calls on investors to take advantage of the promising opportunities offered across the region.

The launch took place on the sidelines of the second edition of the COMESA Investment Forum 2026, held in Nairobi on 26 March under the patronage of William Ruto, with participation from all member states.

Chileshe Kapwepwe, Secretary General of COMESA, stated that the investment map reflects the organization’s ongoing efforts to translate the region’s significant economic potential into concrete projects that support sustainable growth, create employment opportunities for African youth, drive economic development, and enhance the welfare of the continent’s populations.

She added that the investment map provides a practical tool to enhance transparency and deliver accurate, organized information to investors, thereby improving investment decision-making, accelerating economic cooperation among member states, and strengthening the regional investment environment. The platform also facilitates access to opportunities and connects investors with member states more efficiently.

Chileshe Kapwepwe emphasized that the new map organizes investment opportunities in line with national priorities and regional ambitions, presenting them in a clear and consistent manner—an essential factor amid global competition for investments. She highlighted that the map enables efficient interaction between investors and member states, supporting cross-border economic activities and promoting regional integration.

She further noted that COMESA will focus on key sectors such as manufacturing, agro-processing, energy, transport, and the digital economy, which serve as primary drivers for value creation, job generation, and economic resilience. She stressed the importance of developing legal and institutional frameworks to ensure a balanced and attractive investment environment, alongside promoting transparency and access to information as fundamental elements for attracting widespread investment.

Meanwhile, Heba Salama, CEO of the COMESA Regional Investment Agency (RIA), said the launch of the interactive investment map represents a strategic step to strengthen regional integration and facilitate access to investment opportunities in Eastern and Southern Africa. The platform aggregates 180 nationally endorsed investment opportunities across seven priority sectors from member states, providing a single, user-friendly regional interface that enhances transparency and demonstrates COMESA’s readiness to welcome investments.

Heba Salama added that the map reflects COMESA’s vision of fostering cooperation between member states and investment promotion agencies, directly connecting investors with regional opportunities, supporting decision-making, and encouraging cross-border transactions. She noted that the map sends a clear message to global investors that COMESA is open for business, committed to sustainable and inclusive growth, and ready to support coordinated and effective regional investment.

Founded in 1994, COMESA aims to promote economic integration among member states through trade liberalization, facilitation of goods and services movement, and investment attraction. Since its establishment, COMESA has developed an integrated institutional framework to support economic cooperation, including the creation of a free trade area, focusing on strategic objectives such as trade liberalization, removal of tariff and non-tariff barriers, promoting regional and international investment, developing trade-supporting infrastructure, achieving economic integration, and enhancing the competitiveness of African economies.

The combined GDP of COMESA’s 21 member states exceeds USD 1 trillion, making it one of Africa’s largest economic blocs in terms of size and investment potential. Member states include Burundi, Comoros, DR Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, Sudan, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

In this context, and on the other hand, there are many sector-related news items that you can follow.

• Nairobi to Host the second edition of the COMESA Investment Forum to Discuss Enhancing Investment and Economic Integration in Africa with Participation from 17 Countries