A continent-wide reference on Pakistan's relations with all 54 African states, drawn from official sources. It covers diplomatic presence, trade flows, policy milestones and multilateral cooperation, from the Look Africa initiative of 2017 to the Pakistan–Africa Economic Council launched in September 2026.
Diplomatic footprint
Pakistan has 20 resident missions in Africa, and they cover most of the continent's 54 states through concurrent accreditation. Fourteen African states keep resident missions in Islamabad; most others are accredited from Riyadh, Tehran or Abu Dhabi.
Peacekeeping
Pakistan is one of the largest contributors to UN peacekeeping, with most of its deployments historically in Africa. It currently serves with MONUSCO (DR Congo), UNMISS (South Sudan) and MINUSCA (Central African Republic).
Capacity building
The Foreign Service Academy has trained 775 diplomats from 52 African countries, and the Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme has awarded 495 scholarships to African students (MOFA).
Multilateral alignment
Pakistan works with African states through the OIC, the Non-Aligned Movement and the UN, and supports Africa's call for enhanced representation on the Security Council. It also engages with the African Union and the African Development Bank.
How Pakistan's approach to Africa has developed, from a commercial initiative into a whole-of-government policy.
Aug 2017
Ministry of Commerce launches the Look Africa Policy Initiative
Targets ten priority markets and plans new commercial sections in Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Senegal, Sudan and Tanzania, along with preferential-trade talks with SACU, the EAC and ECOWAS.
2019
Ministry of Foreign Affairs adopts the Engage Africa policy
Extends the commercial push into a whole-of-government approach covering diplomacy, trade, education, capacity building, health and defence cooperation.
Jan 2020
1st Pakistan–Africa Trade Development Conference, Nairobi
Held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre on 30–31 January.
2021–22
Five new resident missions open
Rwanda (March 2021), Côte d'Ivoire (February 2022), Uganda (April 2022), Djibouti (May 2022) and Ghana (June 2022), bringing Pakistan's resident missions in Africa to 20.
Nov 2021
2nd Trade Development Conference, Lagos
Held on 23–25 November.
Nov 2022
3rd Trade Development Conference, Johannesburg
Held at the Sandton Convention Centre.
May 2023
First non-stop air link between Pakistan and Africa
Ethiopian Airlines begins Addis Ababa–Karachi flights. The same month, Ethiopia opens its embassy in Islamabad.
Jan 2024
4th Trade Development Conference, Cairo
Pakistan's and Egypt's trade ministers jointly open the event, with more than 100 Pakistani companies exhibiting.
Jan 2025
Pakistan begins its 2025–26 term on the UN Security Council
Pakistan sits on the Council alongside its three African members through 2026.
Oct 2025
5th Trade Development Conference and Made in Pakistan Exhibition, Addis Ababa
More than 130 Pakistani exhibitors in textiles, pharmaceuticals, engineering, food and agro-products.
Feb 2026
UN honours Pakistani peacekeepers in the Central African Republic
1,131 personnel serving with MINUSCA receive the UN Medal, including recognition of their support for the December 2025 elections.
Mar 2026
Egypt's Foreign Minister visits Islamabad
Both sides agree to reactivate bilateral mechanisms, including the Joint Ministerial Commission.
Apr 2026
Pakistan backs the African Model on Security Council reform
At the UN intergovernmental negotiations, Pakistan supports Africa's call for enhanced representation.
Jun 2026
Africa Day marked in Islamabad
The Federal Information Minister reaffirms the Engage Africa policy; ISSI and the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce host their own events, and heads of Pakistan's missions in Africa join.
Sep 2026
Pakistan–Africa Economic Council launched in Islamabad
Pakistan and African partners set a goal of $15 billion in trade by 2030. The Council starts with East Africa (Rwanda, Ethiopia, Uganda, Djibouti), and business missions are planned for Q4 2026.
Pakistan's goods trade with Africa by calendar year, in US dollars. Trade peaked at about $6.0B in 2021, when coal and LNG imports surged. In 2025 it stood at $4.60B, with exports of $2.11B and imports of $2.50B. Africa now takes a larger share of Pakistan's exports than at any point in the series: 7.4% in 2024, against 6.0% on average over 2020–24.
Total goods trade by country. The bar split shows exports (dark) and imports (light), which highlights the surplus markets (Madagascar, Senegal, Tanzania) and the deficit markets (Morocco, South Africa, Kenya).
Pakistan's footprint across the African Union's five regions. Select a region to filter the country table below.
Diplomatic presence and goods trade for every African state. Pakistan's presence is either a resident mission or the Pakistani mission accredited to that country; presence in Islamabad is the country's own embassy or high commission, or the capital it covers Pakistan from. Click any column heading to sort. Countries marked → have their own page on Pakistan’s relations.
