PM Anwar’s African Visit Beefs Up Ties With Global South, Carving Out Pathways To New Markets

By M.Saraswathi

NAIROBI (Kenya), Nov 25 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s visit to three African countries in a continent which is increasingly being described as “young and fast” for its vibrant demographics and rising potential is a testament to Putrajaya’s commitment to strengthening ties with the Global South and positioning Malaysia strategically as a trusted partner in an increasingly multipolar world.

For decades, Africa has been viewed primarily through the lens of developmental challenges and conflicts, many of which persist.

The continent, however, also stands out among the world’s most promising economic frontiers, powered by a young and rapidly growing population projected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050.

During the Prime Minister’s various engagements in Africa while leading business delegations, Anwar emphasised that, despite the challenges and varying levels of economic growth across African countries, opportunities are abundant.

A case in point was the success of transportation and logistics company Yinson Holdings Bhd in providing floating, production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessels in the oil and gas sector across several African countries.

Yinson’s chief executive officer, Lim Chern Yuan, lauded the business trips led by the Prime Minister, saying they were beneficial in expanding networks and exploring other infrastructure assets and projects in Africa.

Therefore, Anwar’s visit to Ethiopia, South Africa and Kenya is much more than diplomatic symbolism, as it reflects a deliberate strategy to deepen Malaysia’s presence in a region where demand for infrastructure, technology, education and halal products is fast rising.

As Malaysia seeks to strengthen its global competitiveness, building enduring partnerships with African nations offers pathways to new markets, diversified supply chains and enhanced geopolitical relevance.

Ethiopia, which was the Prime Minister’s first stop on the three-country visit, is emerging as one of the fastest-growing markets on the continent, is hungry for investment, and has a fully liberalised financial industry, among other things, which presents a promising opening for Malaysian banks, particularly in Islamic finance.

Its capital, Addis Ababa, is the highest capital city in Africa and among the highest in the world at an elevation of 2,355 metres above sea level. The city also houses the African Union’s headquarters, making it a perfect starting point for Anwar’s endeavour to deepen linkages with Africa.

The 55-member African Union, established in July 2002, is the representative voice for Africa on the global stage, and one of its key roles is to encourage international cooperation.

Malaysia reopened its mission in Ethiopia on Sept 23, 2025, after a lapse of 42 years, reaffirming its intention to further strengthen close bilateral relations.

Ethiopia, the most populous landlocked country in the world, ranked 26th among Malaysia’s African trading partners in 2023.

Anwar’s three-day visit to the “Horn of Africa” — the first for a Malaysian Prime Minister — is also to reciprocate Ethiopian Prime Minister Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali’s visit to Malaysia in October last year.

Equally important was the visit to Nairobi, Kenya, where, despite being the shortest stop among the three countries, it was by no means less important.

Anwar’s visit is the first for a Malaysian Prime Minister in almost two decades after the late Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s visit in 2007.

It is pertinent to note that Malaysia and Kenya have agreed to elevate their long-standing bilateral relations to a strategic partnership, marking a historic milestone in 60 years of diplomatic ties.

Anwar, who is also the Finance Minister, said the strategic partnership would cover all fields and traditional agricultural imports, as well as new technologies such as energy transition and digital transformation, including semiconductors.

This aligns perfectly with Kenya, often called the Silicon Savannah, which is rapidly positioning itself as a leading technology hub, paving the way for bilateral technology cooperation.

Malaysia has also agreed to eliminate tariffs on imports of Kenya’s agricultural produce and beef. This is a significant step that will open new market opportunities for Kenyan farmers and strengthen the country’s commercial foundation.

In 2024, Kenya emerged as Malaysia’s third-largest trading partner in Africa, with total trade hitting RM5.7 billion, an increase of 1.2 per cent from RM5.51 billion in the preceding year.

There also seems to be a lot of admiration for Malaysia in Kenya, as the latter has benefited immensely from the Malaysia Technical Cooperation Programme (MTCP), with a substantial number of those who attended the diaspora meet being MTCP alumni.

Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto is expected to visit Malaysia next year.

During his various engagements in both countries, Anwar reminded participants of the time wasted in failing to build strong trade and investment linkages between the African continent and Malaysia, especially in the countries he visited.

“The rapid, complex shifts brought about by geopolitical tensions, supply chain disruptions and climate-related challenges have shown us, more clearly than ever, how important reliable partners are.

“Times have been wasted,” he lamented.

Anwar said that now is the time for nations to stand together to uphold stability, encourage open markets, and pursue inclusive, sustainable growth, and that governments will do all that is necessary to enable businesses to prosper.

In both Ethiopia and Kenya, Malaysia had exchanged memoranda of understanding and documents in areas such as trade, investment, tourism and air connectivity.

Anwar’s presence at the Group of 20 (G20) leaders’ gathering was equally important to Malaysia’s pursuit of a stronger Global South, especially as South Africa, the region’s most advanced economy, emerged as the first African country to host the G20 Summit. 

The Summit that took place in Johannesburg was a perfect platform for Malaysia to engage with many countries, as it augurs well for Putrajaya’s bilateral ties.

Anwar met China’s Premier Li Qiang, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

The Prime Minister also held bilateral meetings with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, during which they discussed various issues, including semiconductor industry collaboration.

Among others, Anwar also called on G20 member states to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps to address long-standing global trade inequities, particularly those affecting countries in the Global South.

He noted that while recent G20 discussions have shown an ambitious push for broader consensus on multilateral trade, investment mechanisms and closing economic gaps between nations, tangible progress remains limited.

Besides this, Anwar is keenly aware of Africa’s rising economic importance, as evidenced by the high growth rates in the continent’s economies, diversification, the African Continental Free Trade Area with a population of 1.3 billion, its young demographics, digital transformation, and investment potential.

The Prime Minister’s visit to the three African nations was undoubtedly highly successful, setting the stage for a value-added, synergistic relationship with Africa, which is emerging as an economic powerhouse.

-- BERNAMA