For years, the Atlantic has been more of a border than a bridge, as acknowledged by diplomats, businesspeople and officials gathered in the Mexican capital to witness the launch of the Latin-African Chamber of Commerce (CLAF) , an initiative that seeks precisely to change that narrative.
The ceremony, organized by the Embassy of Ivory Coast, in collaboration with the Chamber, not only marked the formal start of the organization’s operations in Mexico, but also revealed an unusual coincidence: Latin America and Africa need each other more than they have acknowledged.
From the start of the Latin America-Africa 2026 meeting, the message was that there is a story yet to be written.
At a conference, Sebastián Galindo Cantor, international vice president of CLAF , stated it bluntly. For decades, he said, Latin America has looked north or to Asia, while Africa remained off the radar.
“The Atlantic Ocean has seemed more like a wall than a means of communication,” he said.
But that wall, several participants agreed, is beginning to crack at a time when the world is forcing companies to diversify risks, supply chains, and trading partners.
The scene brought together African and Latin American ambassadors, as well as Mexican officials and business representatives. Among them was the ambassador of Ivory Coast to Mexico, Ly Djérou Robert , who acknowledged that the economic relationship between the two regions remains marginal.
“Economic and trade relations between Africa and Latin America are still weak compared to their true potential,” he said.
And yet, the contrast is clear. Africa is moving towards unprecedented economic integration with the African Continental Free Trade Area, while Latin America maintains industrial, agricultural export, and technological capabilities that could complement each other.
“We are shaping what for a long time seemed like a distant aspiration,” he added, referring to the possibility of an Afro-Latin American economic corridor.
The Mexican government’s assessment was no different. Aníbal Gómez Toledo, Director General for Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , spoke of a relationship that is still distant, but with room for growth.
“The volume of trade between Mexico and Africa remains very modest,” he acknowledged.
The reasons, he explained, range from a lack of direct logistics routes to mutual ignorance and the absence of trade agreements that would facilitate operations . But amid global uncertainty, this lag also becomes an opportunity.
“Today, global uncertainty has underscored the need to diversify markets,” he noted.
Africa, the partner that wasn’t being looked at
The most ambitious part of the speech came with the presentation by Oscar Neri, country director of CLAF Mexico , who put figures, sectors and routes on the table.
In his speech, he emphasized an idea that permeated the entire event: ” Africa is not a country, it is a world of 54 possibilities .”
From their perspective, the continent not only represents an expanding market, but also a strategic logistics hub connecting with Europe, the Middle East and Asia, in addition to being key in resources such as minerals, fertilizers and energy.
“The question is not why Africa, but why not,” he said.
In this context, Africa’s appeal is not merely rhetorical, but profoundly structural. The continent is moving towards an economic transformation driven by its own domestic market: it is estimated that by 2030 around 400 million Africans will generate consumer spending close to three trillion dollars, while digital growth accompanies this expansion, with internet users potentially exceeding 850 million.
Added to this is its geopolitical position, key to maritime and land trade routes, at a time when the relocation of supply chains is forcing a look at new logistics hubs. The weight of its resources is also significant: Africa holds nearly 30% of the world’s mineral reserves, and countries like the Democratic Republic of Congo control critical inputs, such as cobalt, essential for emerging industries like electromobility.
But the most significant change is occurring in its economic integration. The African Continental Free Trade Area (AFCFTA) aims to consolidate a unified market of more than 1.5 billion people, with a potential impact ranging from increased intra-African trade to a significant expansion of manufacturing, which could more than triple by 2030.
Projections point to a substantial increase in exports, higher incomes, and even a reduction in poverty for tens of millions of people. This process is accompanied by gradual improvements in governance, as well as tools such as the Pan-African Payments and Settlements System (PAPSS), which aims to facilitate transactions in local currencies. Together, these elements paint a picture of a continent that is moving beyond mere promise and beginning to emerge as one of the key economic drivers of the medium term.
Changing the narrative: from discourse to action
In an interview for T21 , Oscar Neri summed up the moment with a phrase that was repeated several times throughout the day.
“We are making history because no one has ever approached the African continent from Mexico,” he said.
He assured that the first step will be to break down barriers of ignorance, explaining how markets work, how to negotiate, and what opportunities really exist.
Regarding Africa’s role as a logistics platform, he clarified that ” Africa is going to become an interesting hub (…) from there we can reach Europe, the Mediterranean or the Middle East without going through conflict zones.”
But he was also clear about the obstacles, mainly the lack of knowledge, cultural adaptation and absence of success stories to serve as a reference.
The scale of the challenge was also clear in the figures. In an interview , Sebastián Galindo Cantor pointed out that trade between Mexico and Africa barely exceeds 1 percent.
“That tells us about the size of the opportunity,” he said.
To reverse this, he explained, the Chamber will work in both directions: promoting the internationalization of Mexican companies and facilitating the arrival of African investments.
Although he cautioned that it is not an immediate process, he pointed out that it is important to understand that Africa is a continent and not a country, especially due to its cultural, linguistic, and regulatory complexity.
For Ambassador Ly Djérou Robert, the path is clear, but it requires more than enthusiasm , and he told this publication that the initiative will help “fill a gap” in the relationship between the two regions.
“There are many business opportunities (…) it is a mutually beneficial cooperation,” he told this publication.
However, he insisted that progress will depend on specific conditions: political will, investment protection agreements, and mechanisms to avoid double taxation.
He also highlighted the continent’s logistical potential.
“Africa has multiple strategic ports that can serve as transit points,” he explained.
At the end of the day, beyond the speeches and the figures, the shared feeling was that the rapprochement is only just beginning. That Africa, long distant in the Mexican economic discourse, is starting to emerge as a tangible possibility.
And that, perhaps, the biggest challenge is not crossing the Atlantic, but changing the way both regions view each other.
Comment and follow us on LinkedIn: @Jennifer Galindo / @GrupoT21
