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Qatari fund pledges $70 billion investment in Southern Africa
The Qatari investment group Al Mansour Holding has announced a $70 billion investment package across four Southern African countries, a move observers see as a strategic shift amid the sharp decline of U.S. aid to the continent.
Sheikh Mansour bin Jabor bin Jassim Al Thani, the founder of the fund and a member of Qatar’s royal family, met with leaders of Botswana, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe during a 10-day tour to sign major financing commitments in energy, agriculture, tourism, mining, healthcare, and education.
In Mozambique, a $20 billion partnership was signed with President Daniel Chapo, focusing largely on health and education. Zimbabwe confirmed a $19 billion investment, including $500 million for a hydroelectric project. Zambia is set to receive $19 billion, while Botswana secured $12 billion — a figure surpassing half of its GDP.
“These agreements mark only the beginning,” declared Botswana’s President Duma Boko, as his country faces severe shortages of essential medicines due to strained public finances.
Analysts view these Gulf funds not only as a crucial source of investment but also as a geopolitical counterweight to the retreat of Western powers. “The global uncertainty under President Donald Trump’s second term — marked by U.S. protectionism, tariffs, and aid cuts — is pushing African states to seek alternative partners,” explained Brendon Verster, an economist at Oxford Economics Africa.
The trend is broader: the United Arab Emirates recently signed 44 agreements worth $6.5 billion with Angola. Experts caution, however, that the absence of clear timelines and conditions behind such massive pledges warrants scrutiny.