InvestHK promotes Hong Kong as strategic gateway for African enterprises to expand in Asia
3 min read
Invest Hong Kong is set to broaden its strategic engagement with the African continent as associate director-general of Investment Promotion, Loretta Lee, embarks on an eight-day visit to Johannesburg, South Africa and Kigali, Rwanda.
The mission aims to strengthen economic ties with African economies and promote Hong Kong as the premier springboard for African enterprises to tap into the Chinese Mainland and Asia-Pacific markets.
Lee says, “Africa holds a strategic position in the Global South, representing a vital engine of growth in an era of global economic uncertainty. Interconnectivity is the key to unlocking this potential, and Hong Kong plays a strategic role in linking capital, talent and innovation and technology between Africa, the Chinese Mainland and international markets to drive high-quality, multilateral growth.
“As the government’s arm for both inward investment and Chinese Mainland enterprises aiming to go global, InvestHK facilitates two-way investment through strategic market insights, extensive global access, targeted promotion and policy facilitation.”
Lee will visit Johannesburg from 10 to 13 May to meet with representatives from the local chambers, financial institutions, banks, fintech interests and business and professional services sectors. Extending her mission to Kigali, Rwanda from 13 May, she will represent InvestHK at the Africa CEO Forum to drive high-level exchanges with C-suite executives from the continent’s leading multinationals.
African enterprises establishing a presence in Hong Kong can benefit from a globally recognised common law system and Asia’s most competitive tax regime. Most recently, Hong Kong has further sharpened its competitive edge by announcing a halve in the profits tax to 8.25% from the standard 16.5% for qualifying physical commodity traders. By combining this fiscal incentive with the city’s status as the world’s pre-eminent offshore Renminbi hub, Hong Kong offers African commodities exporters a high-liquidity, efficient gateway to Asian markets.
In line with the advancement of the National 15th Five-Year Plan, Hong Kong is leveraging its status as a ‘super connector’ and ‘super value-adder’ to support national development.
As China–Africa economic relations pivot toward high-value trade and investment, Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to accelerate two-way capital flows – spurring growth across finance, shipping and innovation and technology.
Citing the South African national rugby team’s recent first-ever title at the Hong Kong Sevens, Lee emphasises that such vibrant people-to-people connections are not merely symbolic but serve as a meaningful foundation for driving bilateral economic connection.
