Qatar has spent the summer of 2025 expanding its financial and political involvement in the African continent. On August 26, Qatari royal Sheikh Mansour bin Jabor bin Jassim al Thani visited Mozambique to formalize a $20 billion “strategic cooperation agreement” between the Government of Mozambique and the Qatari investment firm Al Mansour Holding. The initiative aims to support agriculture, energy, and construction in Mozambique.
Mozambique is one of at least a half-dozen African countries to receive multi-billion-dollar commitments from Qatari investors this summer. The financial floodgates opened on August 13 with a $20 billion package for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In parallel, Qatar is mediating between the DRC and the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group, which have been warring in eastern Congo for decades. Doha successfully brokered a ceasefire agreement in July, setting an August 18 deadline for a final peace agreement. The parties missed the deadline, and talks are ongoing in Doha as of this writing.
In Burundi, Qatar pledged $180 billion after a Qatari delegation met with Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimye on August 16. The delegation conveyed Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani’s commitment “to supporting Burundi on the path to emergence, by strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation.”
Qatar’s commitment in Burundi was followed by a $19 billion pledge in Zambia that includes the “establishment of a national investment and development bank, financial sector reforms and new sovereign-backed investment vehicles.”
On August 21, the president of Botswana announced a $12 billion agreement between state-owned Botswana Development Corporation and Al Mansour Holding, focusing on infrastructure, energy, mining, diamond refinement, agriculture, tourism, cybersecurity, and defense.
The next day, Sheikh Mansour arrived in Zimbabwe with an 18-person delegation for a multi-day visit “to formalize partnerships, promote tourism and initiate key bilateral investment agreements.” Mansour’s visit culminated with a pledge to invest $19 billion across sectors in Zimbabwe.
Nidal Ammach, an advisor to Mansour, said that Al Mansour Holding is “looking at a long-term relationship” in Zimbabwe and plans to “invest in one black 5-star hotel as a starting point,” adding, “We’re looking at sustainable investments and what Zimbabwe should do to harness them.”
The commitment in Zimbabwe brought Qatar’s summer spend in Africa to $270 billion.
As in other regions, Qatar is positioning itself in Africa as a neutral player that can promote stability through investment and diplomacy. However, historically, this approach has failed to achieve that goal. Gaza, for example, has been a locus of instability despite soaking up over $1 billion from Qatar. In addition, Qatar’s efforts to court Hamas and bring the terrorist group to the negotiating table have also failed to produce a lasting ceasefire in Gaza. Qatar’s mediation role over the war in Afghanistan was also unable to achieve stability, paving the way for the Taliban’s violent return to power.
