For three days, Moscow was the meeting point for African and Russian business leaders, government officials and institutional representatives. The 3rd Russia–Africa Summit brought together more than 3,500 participants from 74 countries, including delegations from 48 African nations and 22 African heads of state, alongside senior government officials, major corporations and business associations.

For the BRICS Entrepreneurs Alliance (BEA), the Summit was far more than a high-profile international gathering. It was days of intensive talks, new connections and groundwork for future business cooperation across the African continent.

The business programme opened on 27 October at the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as part of the Moscow–Africa Dialogue. Among the Secretary General’s first meetings were discussions with Willi Buhini Mishiki, a Member of the National Parliament of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Dr. Imen Abdou, Director General of the Arab Investment League (Algeria). The talks focused on the proposed establishment of an Association of Congolese Entrepreneurs committed to cooperation with BRICS countries, as well as opportunities to develop a partnership between BEA and the Arab Investment League.

The following two days, at the 3rd Russia–Africa Summit and Economic and Humanitarian Forum, brought an intensive round of international meetings. BEA held discussions with representatives of official delegations from Ethiopia, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Algeria, Senegal, Ghana, The Gambia, Guinea, Mozambique, Burkina Faso and Gabon.

The conversations quickly moved beyond general expressions of interest. Export and import opportunities, business matchmaking, joint ventures and ways to connect Russian companies with African partners were all on the agenda.

The scale of interest was particularly notable among African business institutions. More than 10 chambers of commerce and industry expressed interest in cooperation with BRICS Entrepreneurs Alliance across all twelve industrial sectors represented by its members.

As African markets attract growing attention from international businesses, BEA is working to build the connections that can make cooperation possible in practice: bringing companies together, opening doors to new markets and turning initial discussions into lasting business partnerships.