How Burnham should engage with Africa

24 Jul 2026 11:11 AM

EXPERT COMMENT

The new prime minister can achieve significant results in Africa if he sets clear ambitions, strengthens the UK’s partnerships and implements a more joined-up approach.

The UK’s Approach to Africa, developed in 2025 under former Foreign Secretary David Lammy following consultations with African partners, outlines a pragmatic vision for partnership in which trade and investment links take centre stage.

This ambition reflects an acknowledgement of Africa’s increasing economic and strategic weight. With expanding consumer markets, significant long-term growth potential and a central role in future supply chains, the continent has become an arena for intensifying global competition.

However, the Approach remains a framework for engagement rather than a full strategic reset of UK-Africa relations. And Africa is unlikely to be among new prime minister Andy Burnham’s first foreign policy priorities. Burnham also faces a challenging fiscal environment, with the government’s latest spending plans reducing bilateral funding for African countries to help finance higher defence spending.

Yet Africa is an area where relatively modest strategic delivery and a clearer approach could yield significant political and economic dividends for the UK over the long term. Burnham’s government needs to define a clear ambition for the UK’s engagement with Africa and translate it into a credible, differentiated offer that advances both African priorities and UK interests. 

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