Africa’s food and water security, along with resilient local value chains – spanning water, agriculture and processing – are no longer just development topics but have become national and geopolitical priorities for governments and investors, said Business Sweden strategy and business development Middle East and Africa project manager Kudakwashe Koke.

Speaking at a high-level Thought Leadership Forum hosted by Alfa Laval, in partnership with Business Sweden, in August, he said that the continent’s global dependence creates vulnerability, as Africa imports large volumes of staple foods, such as wheat, rice and maize, while global shocks, including wars, disrupt fertiliser, grain and logistics flows.

The forum, which convened Swedish and South African government representatives, industry leaders and technical experts, explored how Africa stands at a pivotal moment, with food security, pharmaceutical self-sufficiency and water resilience becoming urgent priorities shaping the continent’s industrial future.

Conflict is a primary driver of food insecurity, with 167-million people – 78% in conflict-affected countries – having faced acute food insecurity in 2025.

Climate and water stress exacerbate the situation, with agricultural productivity having declined to 34% since 1961 owing to climate change, while extreme weather, droughts, and floods increasingly disrupt food systems and water availability.



Africa still remains globally vulnerable as a net importer dependent on global value chains.

More than $50-billion is spent every year on food imports, while 300-million people lack access to safe water and millions face undernourishment, yet the continent boasts 60% of the world’s uncultivated arable land that could be used for food production.

“There is quite a lot of focus from a policy perspective, where governments are now pushing in terms of trying to create and support local value chains,” Koke noted, adding that this could be pursued through policy implementation and investments into local production chains that could support farmer supply in the region.

Strong policy frameworks would mobilise investment and strengthen food security financing, Koke said, highlighting the need to create an enabling policy environment that attracts investment and reduces financial risks; allocate adequate public resources to agriculture, nutrition, rural infrastructure and extension services; addresses structural inequalities; and coordinates climate adaptation, social protection and conflict-sensitive interventions to build resilient food systems.

Further actions include implementing the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme, or CAADP, and national food system strategies with measurable targets and accountability; supporting access to finance through guarantees, insurance schemes and public- private partnerships; and strengthening land trade and regulatory frameworks to improve agricultural productivity and market efficiency.

Koke also noted that increasing policies that support facilitation and incentives has led to direct increases in regional foreign direct investment (FDI), with Africa recording a 75% rise in FDI between 2023 and 2024, driven by an infrastructure megaproject in Egypt. Excluding that, flows still grew 12%, supported by investment reforms and improved facilitation across the continent.

Africa, boasting 18 of the world’s 30 fastest-growing economies, a $2.8-trillion regional GDP and a 3.9% GDP growth rate in 2025, presents an ideal market for growth, with natural, human, financial and business capital driving regional market growth.

Africa is home to 30% of global mineral reserves and could capture more than 10% of the projected $16-trillion revenue from key green minerals by 2030, while the continent’s median age of 19 represents a demographic dividend that could add $47-billion to its GDP through improved workforce participation.

Pension fund assets have grown to $1.1-trillion and formal remittances could reach $500- billion by 2035 if transfer costs are reduced, while full implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area Agreement could increase exports by $560-billion and boost continental income by $450-billion by 2035.

In addition, Africa’s population has grown more than sixfold since 1950 to about 1.3-billioin people and is expected to reach 2.5- billion by 2050. Its working-age population is projected to increase from 660-million in 2024 to 1.25-billion in 2050.

Africa is also the fastest- urbanising continent, with urban populations growing at an average yearly rate of 3.5%., 

Urbanisation consistently correlates with higher regional productivity, job creation and better socioeconomic outcomes compared with rural averages.

While these trends present significant opportunities, they also bring many challenges, including increased pressure on infrastructure, as unprecedented spatial expansion will push total urban footprints to 175 000 km2 by 2050, straining housing, transport and basic municipal services.