The discussions underscored that Africa’s development trajectory is entering a period of structural transition. Declining ODA, rising debt pressures, and a more fragmented global political economy are exposing the limits of development models heavily reliant on external financing. At the same time, these shifts present an opportunity for African countries to advance a more self-directed development pathway anchored in domestic resource mobilisation, productive investment, regional integration, and stronger institutional capacity.
Participants highlighted several strategic opportunities capable of catalysing this transition. Africa’s critical mineral endowments, expanding DPI, and emerging AI capabilities offer pathways to accelerate industrialisation, strengthen innovation ecosystems, and expand access to services and markets. Realising these opportunities, however, will require deliberate policy choices to ensure value addition within the continent, responsible governance of digital and data systems, and investment in the infrastructure and skills necessary to support technological transformation.
Mobilising domestic resources will be central to this effort. Strengthening taxation systems, expanding the formal economy, and improving public financial management are essential to rebuilding trust between citizens and the state while increasing fiscal space for development. At the same time, Africa possesses substantial pools of domestic capital that remain underutilised. Improving financial intermediation, strengthening capital markets, and developing pipelines of bankable projects will be critical to unlocking long-term investment in infrastructure, industrialisation, and productive sectors.
Addressing structural constraints within the global financial system will also remain a priority. Debt distress, elevated borrowing costs, and persistent perceptions of African risk continue to limit access to affordable capital. Reforms to global financial governance — including debt restructuring mechanisms, more equitable representation within international financial institutions, and greater transparency in credit rating methodologies — will be important to ensure that African economies can compete on a more level playing field in global capital markets.
Regional integration emerged as a central pillar of Africa’s development strategy in this evolving context. The AfCFTA provides a framework for expanding intra-African trade, strengthening regional value chains, and enabling economies of scale across the continent. At the same time, new forms of issue-based and corridor-driven cooperation are creating practical opportunities for cross-border investment and infrastructure development. Strengthening regional institutions and coordination mechanisms will be essential to translating these frameworks into tangible economic outcomes.
Underlying all these priorities is the central importance of governance and state capacity. Effective institutions capable of designing policy, coordinating actors, negotiating investment agreements, and managing complex development programmes are critical to ensuring that economic opportunities translate into sustainable and inclusive development outcomes. Strengthening project preparation capacity, regulatory coherence, and technical expertise across governments will be key to improving the mobilisation and management of development finance.
Finally, the discussions emphasised the importance of translating strategic vision into practical implementation. Progress will depend on prioritising a limited number of high impact initiatives, advancing reforms incrementally where necessary, and building learning mechanisms that allow policies and programmes to evolve over time. Regional institutions, including the AU and RECs, have an important role to play in supporting coordination, peer learning, and collective action.
Central to this agenda is the assertion of African agency. Advancing Agenda 2063 in a post-ODA world will require African countries to define development priorities on their own terms, strengthen regional solidarity, and engage external partners from a position of strategic clarity. Partnerships with international institutions, the private sector, and development actors will remain important, but must increasingly support nationally and regionally defined priorities.
The message emerging from the policy roundtable was clear: Africa’s development future will depend less on external assistance and more on the effective mobilisation of domestic resources, stronger regional cooperation, capable institutions, and strategic engagement with a rapidly evolving global economy. By translating these principles into concrete action, African countries can position themselves not only to adapt to global change, but to shape it in ways that advance the continent’s long-term prosperity and resilience in line with the vision of Agenda 2063.
Kholood Khair and Katharine Brooks
Wilton Park | June 2026
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Notes
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