2026 KOAFEC Ministerial Conference

The African Development Bank will co-host the 8th KOAFEC Ministerial Conference in Seoul from 8 to 11 September 2026, bringing two decades of Korea-Africa economic cooperation to a milestone edition. Held at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul under the theme "Harnessing AI and Digital Infrastructure for Africa's Transformation", the conference convenes finance ministers from across the continent alongside the leadership of the African Development Bank, African private enterprises, and partner international organisations.

Since 2006, the KOAFEC Ministerial Conference has served as the flagship platform of the Korea-Africa Economic Cooperation partnership, a high-level forum where Korean and African ministers set the shared vision and direction for economic cooperation. The Bank co-hosts the 2026 conference with the Republic of Korea's Ministry of Finance and Economy and the Export-Import Bank of Korea. For the African Development Bank, KOAFEC forms part of a wider engagement with Korea that spans the KOAFEC Trust Fund, energy co-financing, and human resource development, built on a membership relationship that dates to Korea's accession to the African Development Fund in 1980 and to the Bank in 1982.

This year's theme places artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure at the centre of the conversation, reflecting a partnership that has moved well beyond traditional development assistance toward joint investment in the technologies that will shape Africa's transformation. Over four days, the programme moves from the Opening Ceremony and Ministerial Roundtable through a Business Innovation Forum, seminars, and business meetings to an industrial and cultural visit. Full details of the programme, participation, and registration are maintained on the official conference website, to which this page links throughout.