Africa: Russia-Africa Trade Exceeds U.S.$27b

What the report says

Russia said its trade with African countries topped US$27 billion last year, according to remarks by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova at the Russia-Africa Media Forum in Moscow. Her comments came ahead of the third Russia-Africa Summit, which was set for 28-29 October and was expected to draw heads of state, including Namibia’s President Netumbo Nandi Ndaitwah, according to the report.

Zakharova said Moscow sees Africa as a major foreign-policy priority and wants to deepen cooperation in trade, investment, food security, energy, infrastructure, education and digital technology. The article said she named Egypt and Algeria among Russia’s biggest African trade partners, while also pointing to growing ties with Morocco, Tunisia and Nigeria. She also said Russia supplied 13 million tonnes of grain to African countries in the first nine months of 2026 and delivered more than 2.2 million tonnes of mineral fertilisers this year.

The report said Russia is pursuing joint projects in energy, industry, agriculture and worker training, and that 22 bilateral intergovernmental commissions are operating to handle cooperation issues. Zakharova also highlighted education links, saying more than 40,000 African students are studying in Russia. She added that Russia has 48 embassies in Africa and plans to open another in Liberia, alongside recent diplomatic openings or resumptions in several African states.

The summit’s agenda, as described in the article, includes trade, food security, energy, artificial intelligence and payment systems, underscoring Moscow’s effort to broaden economic and political engagement with the continent.