LexisNexis: Arbitration around the world: Africa as an arbitration hub—insights from AFSA and JAW 2026

Arbitration in Africa is no longer a peripheral discussion. As cross-border trade, infrastructure development, energy transition and investment flows continue to shape the continent’s commercial landscape, the mechanisms used to resolve disputes are becoming an increasingly important part of that wider economic story. South Africa, and Johannesburg in particular, occupies a prominent place in that conversation. The Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA), headquartered in Johannesburg, South Africa, has positioned itself as a leading dispute resolution institution for Southern Africa and beyond, administering domestic and international arbitrations. Those themes were reflected at Johannesburg Arbitration Week 2026 (JAW 2026), which brought together African former heads of state, legal practitioners, business leaders, policymakers and other stakeholders to consider arbitration and dispute resolution ‘in all its forms in Africa’. In this latest contribution to LexisNexis’…