Korea and Africa Chart New Course on AI and Digital Infrastructure at 20th anniversary of KOAFEC

Two decades after its founding, the KoreaAfrica Economic Cooperation (KOAFEC) partnership opens a new chapter in Seoul next week, with artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure at the heart of discussions on Africa’s economic transformation.

The 8th KOAFEC Ministerial Conference will run from 8 to 11 September under the theme “Harnessing AI and Digital Infrastructure for Africa’s Transformation.”” It will bring together African ministers, senior Korean officials, development partners, private sector leaders, investors, innovators, and start-up founders.

They will explore how technology, investment, and value creation can accelerate Africa’s development.

The conference will be officially opened by Prime Minister Han Seong-sook. The conference marks the 20th anniversary of KOAFEC, the flagship platform for Korea- Africa economic cooperation, established in 2006.

For the African Development Bank Group, a founding pillar of the partnership alongside Korea’s Ministry of Finance and Economy, and the Korea Export-Import Bank (KEXIM), the occasion offers an opportunity to take stock of two decades of cooperation and to define a more ambitious agenda for the future.

African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah, is leading the Bank’s delegation to Seoul, marking his first official visit to the Republic of Korea since taking office in September 2025.

The 2026 conference will examine how Korean expertise in artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, ICT, energy, manufacturing, and innovation can contribute to Africa’s development priorities.

For the African Development Bank Group, this ambition aligns directly with President Ould Tah’s Four Cardinal Points strategic framework: unlocking Africa’s capital power, rebuilding its financial sovereignty; turning demographic trends into a dividend, and building resilient infrastructure and competitive value chains.