Activating Industry
Corridors & Intercontinental
Cooperation
The TROPICS SUMMIT & COUNTRIES SHOWCASE brings governments, investors, and industry captains to Brazzaville to turn a host nation into a structured, sector-based investment narrative.
I.Context and Purpose of the Summit
This edition marks ten years of the TROPICS SUMMIT & COUNTRIES SHOWCASE: ten editions that have consolidated, geography after geography, a unique methodology for turning a host country into a structured, sector-based investment narrative sustained over time — seven editions in South Africa, one in Cabo Verde, one in Congo-Brazzaville, and now this tenth, Congolese edition. This methodology has been tested and officially recognised since 2022 in Cabo Verde, where the Cabo Verdean Government itself validated the Summit as a catalyst for investment, networking, and financing mobilisation for small and medium-sized enterprises.
The TROPICS SUMMIT & COUNTRIES SHOWCASE Brazzaville Summit (November 17–21, 2026) would precede by just six weeks the opening of the Republic of Congo’s borders, announced for January 1, 2027 — making the Summit the tipping point between ambition, structuring, and execution of the Congo Nation Branding Diplomacy programme.
One place, one week, every decision-maker
The Summit brings together the full range of stakeholder categories whose joint decisions determine the shift from ambition to execution.
Governments
Heads of State, Prime Minister’s Office and sector ministries shaping the corridor’s regulatory path.
Investors
Family offices, multi-sector funds, and commercial & investment banks sourcing dealroom opportunities.
Partner Countries
Country Showcases from CEMAC, Africa, and international markets presenting bilateral cooperation.
Startups
An accredited cohort of Congolese startups connected to the continent’s leading incubators.
Industry & Trade
Employers’ federations, chambers of commerce, and industry captains choosing Congo and Africa.
Speakers & Keynotes — 10 Years of Impact
A retrospective of the dignitaries, keynote speakers, and industry leaders who have graced the Tropics Summit stage over the past decade, representing nations and institutions from across the globe.
H.E Ameenah Gurib-Fakim
The Former President, First Female President
(Republic of Mauritius)
H.E Francisco Carvalho
The Prime Minister
(Republic of Cabo Verde)
H.E Debora Katisa Carvalho
The First Lady
(Republic of Cabo Verde)
H.E Ana Dias Lourenço
The First Lady
(Republic of Angola)
H.E Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi
The First Lady
(Democratic Republic of Congo)
H.E Jean-Pierre Ossey
The Ambassador Plenipotentiary
(Republic of Congo to South Africa)
H.E Rod Rembendambya
The Ambassador Plenipotentiary
(Republic of Congo to South Africa)
H.E Ulisses Correia e Silva
The Former Prime Minister
(Republic of Cabo Verde)
H.E Jacqueline Lydia Mikolo
Minister of Trade, Supplies and Consumer Affairs, responsible for the implementation of the AfCFTA
(Republic of Congo)
H.E Amadou Kone
Minister of Transports
(Republic of Cote d’Ivoire)
H.E Michrist Kaba Mboko
Minister Delegate for Youth and Civic Education
(Republic of Congo)
H.E Prince Bahamboula
Minister Delegate for the Tourism Industry
(Republic of Congo)
H.E Elisabeth Moreno
Former Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Diversity and Equal Opportunities
(Republic of France)
H.E Pinky Kekana
Minister in the Presidency
(Republic of South Africa)
HRH Anibal Rei Mondlane
Royal King
(Mozambique)
HRH Phyllis Malope
President & Founder, Philani Development Centre
(Republic of South Africa)
H.E Wamkele Mene
Secretary General, African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA)
(Republic of South Africa & Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia)
H.E Dr Ngone Diop
Director of Sub-Regional Office for West Africa, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
(Senegal & Niger)
H.E Tiguidanke Mounir Camara
Chairwoman & CEO, Tigui Holding
(Guinea, Cote d’ivoire & Guinea-Bissau)
Maître Gisèle Ngungua Sangua
Former Provincial Minister & Congolese lawyer, admitted to the Lubumbashi Bar
(Democratic Republic of Congo)
Cecilia Akintomide
Former Vice President and Secretary General of the African Development Bank Group & Africa expert, skilled in Strategy, Development Finance, International Law, Project Finance, and Corporate Governance
(Nigeria, Togo & UK)
Melvin Foote
President, The Constituency for Africa
(USA & Global Africa)
Annick Patricia Mongo
Managing Director, API-Congo – National Investment Promotion Agency
(Congo)
Josielle Rafidy
Managing Director, The Economic Development Board (EDBM)
(Madagascar)
George Khoza
Senior Strategic Relations Manager, Brand South Africa
(South Africa)
Samba Bathily
President & Founder, ADS Group
(Mali, Burkina Faso & Cote d’Ivoire)
Roll Stephane Ngomat
Diplomat, Expert in international relations, and a staunch advocate for peace, security, and sustainable development
(Gabon)
Khady Evelyne Denise Ndiaye
Directrice du Secteur Privé, Commission de l’UEMOA
(Senegal & Côte d’Ivoire)
Pilisiwe Twala-Tau
Gauteng PDO, SALGA
(South Africa)
Amadou Gallo Fall
President, Basketball Africa League (BAL)
(Republic of Senegal)
Sylvere CJ Youmbah
Founder, Afrika Synergies
(South Africa & Congo)
Rene Ralph
CEO & Founder, XEGARA
(South Africa)
Partner & Delegate Tiers
Commercial sponsor tiers referenced in the concept note (Startup, Enterprise, Investor) are open for this edition. Enquire to confirm allocation and delegate passes ahead of the Brazzaville dates.
Startup Pack — Startup Diplomacy Track
Your seat in Africa’s fastest-growing investment corridor.
- Pitch your product or service on the same stage as Heads of State, ministers and industry captains shaping the Brazzaville–Pointe-Noire Corridor
- Get matched with Pan-African incubators, accelerators and startup studios actively sourcing Congolese and African founders
- Access dedicated Dealrooms built to connect startups with investors, family offices and multi-sector funds
- Position your venture six weeks before Congo’s historic border opening on January 1ST 2027, a rare first-mover window into a $2–3Bn deal-flow market
- Join a startup diplomacy cohort connected to a decade of Tropics Summit impact: 10,000+ participants, 500+ startups incubated, USD 2–3Bn facilitated deals
Enterprise Pack — Industry & Trade Corridor
Bring your whole team into Africa’s next big investment story.
- Register your company as a delegation and negotiate as one voice across 20 mobilized investor categories — from Industry & Agro-processing to GovTech and AfCFTA trade
- Unlock Dealroom access built for employers’ federations, chambers of commerce and industry captains choosing Congo and Africa
- Group registration means group leverage: strengthen your brand visibility across the Summit’s plenary sessions and sector-based side events
- Connect directly with Special Economic Zone mappings, PPP infrastructure projects, and the Brazzaville–Pointe-Noire logistics corridor
- Be in the room when the Congo Nation Branding Diplomacy programme and its industrial investment pacts are signed live
Investor Pack — Dealroom & Capital Access
Source your next African deal before the market fully opens.
- Priority Dealroom access engineered for family offices, multi-sector investment funds, and commercial & investment banks
- Direct line to bankable projects across 20 investor categories and 10 cooperation zones spanning CEMAC, AfCFTA and beyond
- VIP access to the Summit’s Gala evening — where the real deal-making happens beyond the plenary stage
- First-mover positioning ahead of Congo’s border opening on January 1, 2027, inside a corridor already validated by governments and institutions since 2022
- Direct exposure to Heads of State, ministers, investment promotion agencies and Country Showcases from 10 global cooperation tiers
II.The Sovereign Brazzaville–Pointe-Noire Corridor
Before projecting itself toward the continent, Congo Nation Branding Diplomacy would anchor itself in what the country already owns outright: a fully national corridor linking its political capital, Brazzaville, to its economic capital, Pointe-Noire, entirely under Congolese sovereignty. Between the two: the Congo–Ocean Railway, 510 kilometres of logistics sovereignty.
- National industrial corridor — controlled end-to-end, from land to export.
- Maritime gateway — CEMAC hinterland: Gabon, Cameroon, CAR, Chad.
- Dual tourism offer — Brazzaville, UNESCO Creative City; Pointe-Noire, coastal tourism.
- Startup diplomacy — national scale first, continental scale next.
- Phase 2 projection — toward Brazzaville–Kinshasa, CEMAC, SADC and international markets.
III.Congo Nation Branding Diplomacy
This edition could devote its most structuring resolution to the launch of the signature Congo Nation Branding Diplomacy programme, driven by the Nation Branding Consortium chaired by Tropics Group of Companies Ltd., alongside employers’ federations, investment promotion agencies, tourism boards, chambers of commerce and startup incubators, in a partnership envisaged with the Government of the Republic of Congo.
- Intra-African corridors — extension toward CEMAC via Pointe-Noire, then toward SADC via the Brazzaville–Kinshasa axis in phase 2.
- International corridors — opening investment routes with focus countries outside the continent, across twelve reference sectors.
- Startup diplomacy — representation of an accredited cohort of Congolese startups, connected to the continent’s leading incubators.
Industrial Corridors and Market Competitiveness (Day 1 afternoon)
- Blue Economy, Infrastructure and Transport (Day 2 morning)
- Energy and Water Resources (Day 2 afternoon)
- Entrepreneurship, EdTech, Talent Mobility and City Twinning (Day 3 morning)
- SME/SMI and Artisans Diplomacy, Trade and AfCFTA (Day 3 afternoon)
- Creative Economy and Tourism & Media Industries (Day 4 morning)
- Next Generation, Sports and Health (Day 4 afternoon)
IV.Twenty Investor Categories Mobilised
The TROPICS SUMMIT & COUNTRIES SHOWCASE organises its action around a lever cluster — Industry — broken down into industrial development, special economic zones, and private sector promotion. Each category is connected to a dedicated dealroom.
Industry & Agro-processing
Intra-African Trade (AfCFTA)
International Cooperation
Infrastructure & PPPs
Vocational Training & EdTech
SMEs & Crafts
Transport & Logistics
Tourism & SEZs
Creative Economy
Startup Diplomacy
Human Capital
Blue Economy & Value Chains
GovTech, Digital, AI & Cybersecurity
Youth & NextGen
Health
Energy & Renewables
Environment & Congo Basin
Women’s Leadership
Banks, Funds & Family Offices
Business Law & LegalTech
V.Ten Zones Mobilised
The global cooperation guide structures, across twelve reference sectors, the full range of Congo’s potential partners. Each participating country organises its own Country Showcase — public sector, private sector, banks, investment promotion agency, chamber of commerce, tourism board.
| Tier | Countries & Markets |
|---|---|
| Tier 0 — Top Priority | Democratic Republic of Congo: Kinshasa, Lubumbashi, Matadi |
| Tier 1 — CEMAC | Cameroon, Gabon, CAR, Equatorial Guinea, Chad, Angola, São Tomé and Príncipe |
| Tier 2 — East Africa | Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda |
| Tier 3 — West Africa | Nigeria, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Senegal, Guinea, Benin, Togo, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger… |
| Tier 4 — Southern Africa | South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Mauritius, Madagascar… |
| Tier 5 — North Africa | Morocco, Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia |
| Tier 6 — Europe | France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom… |
| Tier 7 — Middle East | United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Turkey |
| Tier 8 — Americas | United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Barbados, Dominican Rep., Trinidad and Tobago… |
| Tier 9 — Asia-Pacific | China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam… |
Vision Congo 2063
Congo opens its borders on 1st January 2027, six weeks after Brazzaville hosts the TROPICS SUMMIT’s 10th edition, creating a rare window to shape the market before it fully opens. Banks, funds, asset and wealth managers, family offices, and strategic sponsors are invited to partner now across five plenary blocks and seven side events spanning industry, energy, trade, and creative sectors. Partnership means direct access to bankable projects, G2B/G2G dealrooms, and a founding seat at the table as the Congo Destination takes shape.
In line with Vision Congo 2063 and the pan-African commitment championed by President Denis Sassou N’Guesso in favour of the African Continental Free Trade Area, the Republic of Congo has announced visa exemption for African nationals and the opening of its borders on January 1, 2027 — just six weeks after the close of the TROPICS SUMMIT & COUNTRIES SHOWCASE Brazzaville 2026.
The Premium Sponsors & Partners
The Summit’s cooperation network spans the institutions and mechanisms already engaged with the Republic of Congo — plus the commercial partner tiers open for this edition.
Institutional references confirmed in the concept note. Commercial sponsor tiers (Startup, Enterprise, Investor) are open — send your logo to be added to the strip.
VI.Expected Resolutions: A New Chapter for Congo
Since its creation, the TROPICS SUMMIT & COUNTRIES SHOWCASE has held nine consecutive editions — seven in South Africa and two across Cabo Verde and Congo-Brazzaville — building a recognised track record in networking, financing mobilisation and SME support, officially validated by the Cabo Verdean Government since 2022. In a context where the January 1, 2027 border opening and Vision Congo 2063 open a narrow window to capture structuring investment, participation in this edition would be decisive for stakeholders wishing to position themselves ahead of the dealrooms, SEZ mappings and bilateral agreements expected to be announced at the Summit.
Resolutions Expected From This Edition
- Official adoption of the Congo Nation Branding Diplomacy programme as a lasting framework.
- Signing of an industrial investment pact with at least three investors.
- Publication of an official mapping of priority special economic zones.
- Launch of the industrial and technology talent hub and the flagship entrepreneurial incubator.
- Signing of a memorandum projecting toward the Brazzaville–Kinshasa corridor.
- Commitment to documented twelve-month follow-up for every agreement reached.
Why Participation Is Imperative
The Summit brings together, in one place and one week, the full range of stakeholder categories whose joint decisions determine the shift from ambition to execution — from Heads of State to industry captains, family offices to local cooperatives.
Expected Delegations
-
Head of State, Prime Minister’s Office, Deputy Prime Minister’s Office and Government members
-
Employers’ federations and professional associations
-
Family offices and multi-sector investment funds
-
Trade, commerce and industry chambers
-
Incubators, accelerators and startup studios
-
Industry captains and African, Caribbean and international entrepreneurs choosing Congo and Africa
-
Partner countries — Country Showcases and bilateral cooperation
-
Sector ministries
-
Commercial and investment banks, insurance companies
-
Investment promotion agencies
-
Universities and technical/vocational training centres
-
Congolese and global African diaspora
-
Mayors and local cooperatives, sustainable development stakeholders
VII.From Sourcing to Twelve-Month Follow-Up
Photo Gallery
A look back at the Tropics Summit & Countries Showcase — delegates, speakers, partners, and the host city of Brazzaville.