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The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has signed a hosting agreement with the government of St. Kitts and Nevis for the fifth edition of the AfriCaribbean Trade and Investment Forum (ACTIF2026), as the pan-African lender accelerates efforts to strengthen commercial ties between the two regions separated by the Atlantic.

The July 29-31 gathering at the St Kitts Marriott Beach Resort in Basseterre, the capital of the two-island Caribbean nation east of Puerto Rico, will seek to convert political goodwill into tangible deals, building on a pipeline that has already seen Afreximbank approve over $700 million in financing across the CARICOM region since opening a Barbados office two years ago.

For Kenyan firms, trade experts say, the forum represents a tangible opportunity to tap into a Caribbean market that remains largely underserved by African exporters.

Analysts estimate that direct air links could help unlock an estimated $1.8 billion in untapped annual trade between Africa and the Caribbean by 2028.

Kenya has been at the forefront of promoting this connectivity, with Nairobi holding talks with the Dominican Republic in May 2025 to establish direct flights between Nairobi and Santo Domingo, aiming to boost economic ties.

The push has gained momentum from the Caribbean side, with St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew declaring his country’s readiness to take the lead in establishing direct air connectivity, utilising innovative financing mechanisms such as Minimum Revenue Guarantees to attract airlines.

The Caribbean region, a collection of small island developing states highly vulnerable to climate shocks and global tourism cycles, has long struggled with high debt burdens and limited economies of scale.

While tourism accounts for up to 40 per cent of GDP in many islands, the region imports the vast majority of its food, fuel, and manufactured goods, a structural imbalance that African exporters could help address.

ACTIF2026 is seen as a strategic platform to pivot the Caribbean away from over-reliance on traditional Western trading partners toward a more diversified, South-South trade architecture with Africa.

“At the fifth edition of ACTIF, we will once again reunite with our fellow Africans across the Atlantic to reflect on our shared development challenges and to recommit to the implementation of strategic programmes that will advance our collective aspiration for self-determination and self-reliance,” said Dr George Elombi, President and Chairman of Afreximbank, in a statement on Tuesday.

“Through ACTIF2026, we will identify priority projects and programmes and dedicate ourselves to effective execution. This will be the pathway to our shared economic development.”

The forum, first catalysed by a 2021 Africa-CARICOM heads of state summit, has become the premier deal-making platform bridging Global Africa.

At ACTIF2025, five Caribbean deals worth $291.25 million were signed across three countries, spanning trade finance, corporate lending, project preparation, and export development.

For St Kitts and Nevis, a twin-island federation of roughly 50,000 people hosting the forum, offers a chance to rebrand as an investment gateway rather than just a beach destination.

“We are not just a beautiful destination; we are a gateway for investment, a hub for enterprise, and a proud partner in the Renaissance of Africans,” said Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew. “ACTIF2026 will serve as a catalyst for trade and investment, creating new opportunities for our people and businesses.”

Elombi’s emphasis on “effective execution” signals a shift from rhetoric to implementation.

With the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) as a backdrop, ACTIF2026 will also explore how Caribbean nations could use the Afreximbank-backed Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) to bypass dollar shortages.