The 2nd Annual African High Commissioners and Ambassadors to the United Kingdom Retreat, convened by Development Reimagined and enabled by the Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps in the United Kingdom – Ambassador (Rtd) Colonel Christian M Katsande of the Republic of Zimbabwe, took place from 13 to 15 September 2026 at Sopwell House, St Albans. Held under the Chatham House Rule, it brought together 25 high commissions and embassies, alongside invited African experts, to examine how the Africa-UK relationship could support African industrialisation, resilience and economic agency. This edition also drew, for the first time, on input from working groups of the African Diplomatic Corps.
Following welcome remarks from Hannah Wanjie Ryder, Chief Executive Officer of Development Reimagined, and opening remarks from His Excellency Christian Katsande, Dr Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, delivered a keynote on what should follow the UK’s Africa Approach.
The retreat followed a busy year in UK-Africa relations: the launch of the UK’s “new approach” to Africa in December 2025, a shift from donor and recipient to investor and partner; the UK and Ghana co-hosting the pledging meeting for the 17th replenishment of the African Development Fund, which Development Reimagined’s research put at US$11 billion (£8 billion); and the Global Partnerships Conference in London in May 2026.
Opening provocations were delivered by a distinguished lineup of African and international experts, including:
- Mr Gyude Moore – Distinguished Fellow, Energy for Growth Hub; Former Minister of Public Works, Republic of Liberia
- Ms Yamide Dagnet – Senior Vice President, International, Natural Resources Defense Council
- Ms Veronica Bolton Smith – Chief Executive Officer, Critical Minerals Africa Group
- Dr Joy Kategekwa – Director, Regional Integration Coordination Office, African Development Bank Group
- Ms Ndidi Njoku – Chairperson, African Foundation for Development
- Ms Elizabeth Sidiropoulos – Chief Executive, South African Institute of International Affairs
Discussions centred on two pillars: how the UK’s domestic policy choices on aid, development finance and immigration are reshaping the relationship, and how international platforms such as the UK’s G20 presidency, COP31 and the UN tax convention process offer routes to shape it. Across five sessions, participants explored:
The Climate Action Africa Needs for COP32: agreeing a small number of collective African climate asks before COP31, and pressing for trigger-based disaster finance and clearer reporting of UK climate disbursements.
Critical Resources, Industrialisation and Value Addition: moving from ‘sourced in Africa’ to ‘made in Africa’ through a coordinated approach to offtake terms, technology transfer and local equity.
Africa and the UK’s National Immigration and Trade Policies: assessing trade and mobility together, from fairer UK visa arrangements to faster progress on Africa’s own free-movement commitments.
Reforming the Global Financial Architecture Ahead of the UK’s G20 Presidency: using the presidency to push concrete reforms on credit ratings and debt, while building African-owned financial institutions.
Reflections on Advancing African Diplomatic Advocacy in the UK and Next Steps: identifying practical steps ahead of the UK’s G20 presidency, COP32 and CHOGM.
The retreat’s central conclusion was that African countries should engage the UK through coordinated, evidence-based propositions grounded in trade, investment and productive capacity. Participants found this second retreat franker and more strategic than the first, with the conversation shifting from what the UK should provide towards how African countries can organise their own leverage, including through a single African strategy for the UK. As one participant put it, “Africa’s destiny depends on its ability to believe in itself and speak with one voice.”
Development Reimagined will support African missions as they build on this momentum ahead of the UK’s G20 presidency and COP32 in Ethiopia.
