Aligning Global South and U.S. Interests Through East Africa: Promoting People-to-People Investment

The EAC (East African Community) Global Connect Summit and Expo 2025 will be held August 19-21 in Nairobi, focusing on “Unlocking East Africa Community Markets to Global Business Avenues through Enhanced Trade Collaboration.”

Media narratives about the Global South often center on India and Brazil, portraying them as regional hegemonic powers and key patrons of neighboring economies. While this framing captures part of the story, it overlooks other emerging leaders. Africa—widely seen as a potential future hub of the Global South—is undergoing a dynamic transformation. According to the African Development Bank Group’s 2025 African Economic Outlook, Africa’s economy is projected to accelerate from 3.3 percent growth in 2024 to 3.9 percent in 2025, and to 4.0 percent in 2026, despite global economic uncertainties and geopolitical tensions. East Africa leads this momentum with an estimated 5.9 percent growth rate, driven by resilient economies such as Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Tanzania. In 2025, 21 African countries are expected to surpass 5 percent growth, with Ethiopia, Niger, Rwanda, and Senegal potentially reaching the critical 7 percent threshold for substantial poverty reduction and inclusive development. This robust performance places Africa ahead of the global average, making it the second-fastest growing region after emerging Asia.

Yet the BRICS-centric framing of the Global South often obscures the role of rising African actors, creating challenges for U.S. leadership. To align the broader Global South with U.S. strategic interests, Washington must intentionally support and nurture these emerging African nations—an approach that reflects shifting multipolar realities and positions the United States as a key partner in building a more inclusive and balanced global order.

Evolving U.S. Engagement in Africa, with East Africa at the Forefront

In recent years, U.S. engagement in Africa has shifted from a primarily aid-focused approach to one emphasizing trade, investment, and private-sector-led growth. The Trump administration’s Bureau of African Affairs Commercial Diplomacy Strategy, launched in 2025, exemplifies this transition by prioritizing commercial diplomacy over traditional aid. Within its first 100 days, the initiative facilitated 33 deals worth more than $6 billion, effectively integrating U.S. business interests with Africa’s expanding economic potential.

East Africa has emerged as a central focus of this strategy, owing to its strategic location along the Indian Ocean—a key maritime route—and its blend of political stability and economic integration. Countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda, and Tanzania are driving regional growth that surpasses the continental average, supported by substantial infrastructure investments, market reforms, and a growing middle class.

Even more, U.S. and East African relations have strengthened in the energy sector. The U.S.-Africa Energy Forum, held on August 7–8, 2025, in Houston, successfully connected U.S. investors with Africa’s rapidly growing energy market. Strategic partnerships with organizations such as the African Energy Chamber and African Energy Week granted American companies direct access to licensing rounds, LNG projects, deepwater exploration, and large-scale renewable energy initiatives. With Africa’s 2025 energy capital expenditures projected between $43 and $47 billion, this forum positioned U.S. firms to capitalize on substantial investment opportunities.

Building on this growing closeness between the U.S. and East Africa, momentum will continue with the EAC (East African Community) Global Connect Summit and Expo 2025, scheduled for August 19–21 in Nairobi. As East Africa’s economic powerhouse, Kenya is playing a leading role in advancing the EAC’s economic integration. This landmark event, themed “Unlocking EAC Markets to Global Business Avenues through Enhanced Trade Collaboration,” is expected to attract over 6,000 visitors, 2,000 delegates, and 400 companies from the region and beyond. The summit aims to expand intra-regional trade, attract foreign investment across agriculture, energy, technology, and tourism sectors, and foster public-private partnerships to further strengthen East Africa’s position as a vibrant economic hub.

Strengthening People-to-People Economic Ties

Beyond official initiatives, deepening people-to-people economic links between the U.S. and East Africa offers a powerful but underappreciated means of engagement. The growing African American middle class has nurtured a financially empowered diaspora increasingly investing in and relocating to East African nations such as Kenya.

Recent reports point to a surge in African American migration to Kenya, motivated not only by cultural and ancestral ties but also by opportunities in entrepreneurship, real estate, and technology. While media coverage often focuses on U.S. political and social controversies, these diaspora communities serve as important economic and cultural bridges—facilitating trade, investment, and exchange.

The U.S. government could integrate these connections into a broader investment-driven strategy. By expanding diaspora-focused funds and incentives, Washington could direct private capital toward sustainable growth projects in East Africa, reinforcing its diplomatic objectives. With remittances to sub-Saharan Africa exceeding $85 billion in recent years—outpacing foreign direct investment and official development assistance—policies that harness these flows could significantly strengthen economic integration and U.S. influence.

East Africa Aligned with U.S. Interests as a Future Linchpin of the Global South

Envision a Global South where East African economies—closely aligned with U.S. strategic interests—take on a central role, moving beyond a narrative historically dominated by India and Brazil. Emerging East African nations possess significant potential to assert their own agency, serving both as reliable partners and strategic counterbalances to other regional powers. By nurturing robust economic and diplomatic partnerships with East Africa, the United States can help shape a Global South where East African countries become pivotal players driving stability, shared prosperity, and a more balanced international order in the decades to come.