Karine M. Yengo Kaisa stands at the unique intersection of thought leadership, international business, and professional advocacy. As an International bestselling author and an esteemed authority on market entry, leadership, and governance in complex organisations, her insights are sought after by organisations seeking resilient pathways through change and growth. With a career spanning over a decade, Karine currently serves as Regional Business Development & Marketing Manager at Turnkey Technology, where she spearheads commercialisation efforts in security, government, and high-end automation across the dynamic GCC and MENA landscapes. Her approach, grounded in a clear understanding of both micro and macro forces, ensures decision-making that is as robust as it is adaptive.
Through her acclaimed book, Crossroads: When Change Brings Courage—now available in Japanese—Karine dives into how people make pivotal decisions under pressure, making her a guiding light for those at the helm of transformation. As a member of the Horasis think tank and founder of The Crossroads Movement, she champions for wellbeing, equity, and psychological safety as cornerstones of high-performing, future-ready organisations. Today, she continues to mentor and advocate for impactful leadership, career agility, and environments where innovation and trust can thrive.
Below is the interview.
Africa and the Gulf are developing increasingly strong economic and business connections. From your perspective, what are the most important opportunities emerging between African markets and the Gulf region?
I moved from Cameroon to the United Arab Emirates and have spent close to a decade facilitating market entry into the Gulf. I think the biggest opportunity is that the relationship between Africa and the Gulf is moving beyond traditional trade into long-term investment, growth and strategic partnership.
The first opportunity I can think of is infrastructure and logistics. Africa has significant infrastructure and trade-connectivity gaps, while the Gulf countries have built and continue to build considerable expertise in ports, aviation, logistics and large-scale infrastructure development. We are already seeing companies such as DP World expanding port and logistics infrastructure across African markets. This creates an opportunity not only to move goods between Africa and the Gulf more efficiently, but also to connect African businesses more effectively to global supply chains.
The second area is energy and sustainability. Africa has enormous renewable-energy potential, particularly in solar and wind, while Gulf countries are increasingly investing in the global energy transition. UNCTAD specifically identifies energy infrastructure, renewable energy and critical minerals as sectors attracting growing investment into Africa, including from Gulf investors.
I also see substantial opportunities in agriculture and food security. Gulf economies import a significant proportion of their food (I would love to encourage more imports from the West and Central parts of Africa, you’d be surprised at the output) while Africa has major agricultural capacity in all 54 countries. The opportunity is therefore not simply exporting agricultural commodities to the Gulf, but investing in African agricultural production, processing, storage, cold-chain logistics and distribution. This creates a greater value within African economies while strengthening food-security supply chains for the Gulf.
Another emerging opportunity is technology and digital infrastructure. Africa has a young talented population and rapidly developing digital markets, particularly in fintech, digital payments, e-commerce and telecommunications. Gulf investors bring capital, technology and international networks meanwhile the UAE and more than 20 African countries have already identified digital transformation, infrastructure, logistics and innovation as priority areas for deeper economic cooperation. Progressive now more than ever before.
And finally, I think the African Continental Free Trade Area is quite important. It changes the investment proposition because investors can increasingly look at Africa not as 54 separate national markets, but as a more integrated continental market. African merchandise trade reached approximately US$1.5 trillion in 2024, while intra-African trade reached about US$220 billion. As AfCFTA implementation progresses, Gulf companies that establish operations or partnerships within Africa potentially gain access to much larger regional supply chains and consumer markets.
The UAE demonstrates how quickly this relationship is already developing and according to the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, UAE–Africa bilateral trade reached approximately US$107 billion in 2024, up 28% from 2023, while UAE investment in Africa totalled approximately US$144 billion between 2020 and 2024.
So, from my perspective, the opportunity is not just Africa exporting resources and the Gulf providing capital but about building a much more integrated economic corridor where African markets provides growth, resources, talent and emerging consumer demand, while Gulf markets contribute capital, infrastructure capability, technology and global connectivity so as to ensure a reciprocal exchange in value.
What sectors do you believe have the greatest potential for African businesses seeking partnerships, investment, or market access in the Gulf?
I believe one of the strongest sectors is agriculture and food production. Agriculture is always going to be needed because ultimately, people need to eat. This makes food security a permanent economic priority and not just a temporary trend.
This is particularly relevant to the Gulf, where food security and the diversification of food supply remains one of it’s top strategic priorities. The UAE, for example, is actively developing international food partnerships and investing in agriculture, food processing, agritech and supply-chain resilience. For African businesses, I think the opportunity goes far beyond exporting raw agricultural products. There is room for partnerships in processing, packaging, cold-chain logistics, distribution and even agricultural technology.
Another sector that I think has enormous potential is fashion and the wider creative economy. The world is increasingly opening up to African fashion, particularly when African designers incorporate cultural identity into contemporary products.
A very recent example was the Democratic Republic of Congo team at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Their tailored suits incorporating leopard-print elements became one of the early viral fashion moments of the tournament. What made this particularly interesting was that the clothing was not just fashion for fashion’s sake; it incorporated elements of Congolese identity and was designed by a Congolese designer. The international reaction showed how African design can take something culturally specific and make it globally relevant.
There is significant room for African designers, textile businesses, jewellery brands, beauty companies and other creative businesses to access Gulf consumers, particularly through markets such as Dubai, which already operate as international retail, luxury and tourism hubs.
I would also include technology and digital services. African businesses have developed strong capabilities in areas such as fintech, digital payments, e-commerce and technology-enabled services. At the same time, Gulf markets are investing heavily in digital transformation and innovation. In 2025, the UAE and more than 20 African countries specifically identified digital transformation, infrastructure and innovation among their priority areas for deeper economic cooperation.
There is also substantial potential in renewable energy and sustainability. African markets have significant solar, wind and other renewable-energy resources, while Gulf investors increasingly have the capital, technical capability and strategic interest to invest in this sector. UAE discussions on Africa have already highlighted renewable energy, infrastructure and agricultural technology as priority investment areas.
But I think there is another category that is sometimes overlooked, which is professional services and businesses that can act as trusted bridges between the two regions.
As economic activity between Africa and the Gulf increases, companies entering unfamiliar markets need reliable partners who understand both sides: the regulatory environment, business culture, distribution networks, consumers and the right people to speak to. There is therefore an opportunity for African businesses in market-entry advisory, business development, consulting, logistics coordination, sourcing, trade facilitation and representation and likewise.
This becomes increasingly important as the relationship grows. GCC trade with Africa has already exceeded US$100 billion, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia accounting for the majority of this trade.
So I would say the strongest opportunities are in agriculture and food, fashion and the creative economy, technology, renewable energy, logistics and professional services. But across all of them, the common opportunity is that both regions should not look at collaborating as a mere import and export activity. They should look at each other as markets for enormous opportunities in partnerships, investment, distribution, capital and international expansion.
The opportunity is not just Africa exporting resources and the Gulf providing capital but about building a much more integrated economic corridor where African markets provide growth, resources, talent and emerging consumer demand, while Gulf markets contribute capital, infrastructure capability, technology and global connectivity so as to ensure a reciprocal exchange in value.
Beyond investment and trade, how can stronger Africa–Gulf relations contribute to knowledge exchange, entrepreneurship, technology, and the development of new business ecosystems?
Stronger Africa–Gulf relations can indeed create something much more valuable than trade, which is the transfer of knowledge, capability, networks and access between both regions.
One of the best way to illustrate this is through entrepreneurship and startup development. The Gulf has built strong business ecosystems around incubators, accelerators, free zones, venture capital, technology hubs and access to international markets. African entrepreneurs can benefit from exposure to these systems, not necessarily by copying them, but by understanding what’s working and what can be adapted to their own markets.
At the recently concluded AIM Congress, this was evidently visible. I observed strong presence of entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and business leaders from both Africa and the Gulf, and you could see how these platforms are increasingly becoming spaces not only for investment discussions, but also for knowledge exchange, partnerships and cross-border collaboration.
We are already seeing this direction in the UAE. In 2025, the UAE and more than 20 African countries identified SME financing, innovation, digital startups and business incubators as areas for deeper cooperation, with particular emphasis on improving access to finance and markets for entrepreneurs.
I think there is a major opportunity for two-way knowledge exchange. Africa should not just be positioned as the region receiving knowledge. African entrepreneurs have developed solutions within very complex operating environments, particularly in fintech, mobile payments, agriculture, logistics, oil and gas, and other areas where infrastructure has historically been limited.
This innovation is valuable because it is often built around affordability, accessibility and solving very practical problems. Gulf businesses can learn from this just as African businesses can learn from the Gulf’s experience in areas such as infrastructure, logistics, artificial intelligence, digital government and scaling businesses internationally. Technology can accelerate this significantly rather than having businesses operating separately in both regions, we could see more joint accelerators, technology partnerships, research programmes, founder exchanges and cross-border venture building.
And how could I forget, talent mobility and mentorship. I think Entrepreneurs need more than funding and access to people who understand how to build companies, enter new markets, raise capital, manage regulation and scale operations. Creating stronger networks between African and Gulf founders, investors, universities, corporations and government institutions would allow this knowledge to amplify.
In summary, the goal should be to create an ecosystem where African and Gulf entrepreneurs are building together and supporting each other through their various visions. When this happens consistently, we start creating new businesses, industries and business models that might not have emerged within either region independently.
What do you see as some of the main challenges preventing African entrepreneurs and companies from accessing Gulf markets, and what can governments and private-sector organizations do to overcome them?
I think one of the biggest challenges is insufficient on-the-ground market research.
When entering a new market, whether it is the Gulf or anywhere else, decisions cannot be made entirely from information found online. You need someone actively present in the market, studying what is happening on ground: consumer behaviour, regulation, pricing, competition, economic conditions and most importantly, how business is done from a cultural perspective.
A company could have an excellent product and fail to enter a market because of decisions based on assumptions rather than actual local intelligence. So, I think African companies looking at the Gulf need stronger local representation, market-entry partners and people who understand both markets.
The second challenge is access to the right relationships. Business in the Gulf is highly relationship-driven, and one of the advantages of markets such as the UAE is the density of business councils, investment forums, conferences, accelerators and industry gatherings. If you know what you are looking for, you can identify where investors, decision-makers and potential partners are gathering and put yourself in those rooms.
Across Africa, these networks certainly exist, but access are more fragmented and the route from an entrepreneur to the person with capital, market access or decision-making authority is not always as visible or straightforward. Access to finance also remains a documented constraint for African SMEs. IFC has repeatedly identified financing as one of the major barriers limiting the growth of smaller businesses across the continent.
The third challenge is the cost of market entry. Travelling regularly to the Gulf, establishing a company, attending major industry events, obtaining professional advice, marketing and building a local presence all require capital. For an SME that is already operating with limited resources, this initial cost can prevent a very good business from ever reaching the market.
And finally, there is market readiness and regulatory preparedness. Businesses need to understand Gulf requirements around licensing, product standards, taxation, customs, labelling, distribution and contracting before they enter here. Being successful in an African market does not automatically mean the same operating model will work in Dubai, Riyadh or Doha.
I think governments and private-sector organisations can help by creating more structured Africa–Gulf market-entry programmes: trade missions, investor introductions, accelerator programmes, local market advisers and platforms that connect vetted African businesses directly with Gulf companies and investors.
We are already seeing elements of this approach. The UAE–Africa Gateway and GCC African council for example, was created to connect businesses with partners and stakeholders, facilitate bilateral meetings and support cross-border investment activity.
Ultimately, I think the objective should be to reduce the distance between a good African entrepreneur and the information, relationships and capital they need to enter the Gulf successfully.
When entering a new market, whether it is the Gulf or anywhere else, decisions cannot be made entirely from information found online. You need someone actively present in the market, studying what is happening on ground: consumer behaviour, regulation, pricing, competition, economic conditions and most importantly, how business is done from a cultural perspective.
Looking ahead, what kind of Africa–Gulf relationship would you like to see develop over the next five years, and what role can business leaders and professionals like yourself play in making that connection stronger?
Over the next five years, I would like to see the Africa–Gulf relationship become much more structured, reciprocal and accessible to businesses on both sides.
I would like to see more African companies establishing presence in the Gulf, more Gulf companies building long-term operations in African markets, and significantly more collaboration between entrepreneurs, SMEs and professionals rather than the relationship being concentrated and centred around governments and large corporations.
Moreso, I would very much like to see the relationship become much more two-way. Africa should not only be viewed as a destination for Gulf investment, and the Gulf should not just be viewed as a source of capital. More African businesses should be entering Gulf markets, more African professionals should be participating in decision-making and business networks here especially those surrounding the continent, and expertise should be exchanged just as much in both directions.
For professionals like myself, I think our role is to help facilitate the connection through our expertise, relationships and understanding of both environments.
Furthermore, I think representation itself has an impact. When I first moved to the UAE years ago, I remember people within my community back home asking, “Why are you moving to the Gulf?” at that time, there was not always a clear understanding of the scale of opportunity that existed here. If I’m being honest, It wasn’t clear to me either. Today, this conversation is different and has shifted to “Oh, that’s happening there?”
So, in a nutshell, professionals like myself can contribute our expertise by helping businesses understand the market, facilitating the right introductions, explaining what’s possible, helping bridge cultural and commercial differences and connecting the right people to the right opportunities. I think people who have experience across both regions are particularly valuable because we can understand where the gaps are on each side and help reduce them.
Concluding, I would like to see a relationship where an African entrepreneur looking towards the Gulf, or a Gulf business looking towards Africa, no longer sees the other region as unfamiliar territory.
In summary, as Africa and the Gulf forge deeper ties, the journey ahead is paved with both opportunity and mutual growth. Thanks to leaders like Karine M. Yengo Kaisa, these regions are poised to capitalise on their complementary strengths, building lasting partnerships and innovative business ecosystems that inspire, connect, and uplift. The future, undoubtedly, is collaboration.
Editorial Staff 2025
