Nairobi will host the Africa Commerce & Industry Summit (ACIS) from October 14-16, 2026, bringing together more than 5,000 decision-makers from 50 countries. Centred on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the event aims to transform conversations into partnerships — and partnerships into investments.
The continent's major trade summit
ACIS 2026 will run under the theme "Driving Africa's Next Era of Trade." According to KNCCI President Erick Rutto, the event is designed to be "a marketplace where conversations become partnerships, partnerships become investments." The agenda includes high-level policy dialogues, business-to-business meetings, private deal rooms, and sector exhibitions connecting African enterprises with investors and financing institutions.
AfCFTA: a 1.4-billion-person market
The African Continental Free Trade Area creates a single market of approximately 1.4 billion people with a combined GDP of roughly $3.4 trillion. Yet intra-African trade today accounts for just 15-18% of the continent's total trade — compared to 70% in Europe and 60% in Asia. ACIS 2026 aims to accelerate the materialisation of these exchanges through concrete sectoral agreements.
Nairobi: an emerging continental hub
The choice of Nairobi is significant. The Kenyan capital recently became home to the International Trade Centre's first regional office outside Geneva — a strong signal of its positioning as the continent's business capital. Kenya also projects 5.8% growth in 2026, driven by its tech, logistics, and financial sectors.
$261 billion in potential by 2028
According to projections cited in the announcement, the AfCFTA could add more than $261 billion to the African economy by 2028, with intra-African trade projected to grow 6.6% annually. ACIS serves as a lever to accelerate this dynamic by connecting businesses with investors and financing institutions.
Why it matters
For Indian Ocean business actors, ACIS represents a direct opportunity window: Mauritian, Réunionese, Malagasy, and Seychellois companies have every reason to be in Nairobi in October. East Africa is the continent's most dynamic segment — and these summits are often where regional contracts are decided.