Kagame Urges Rethinking Global South Investment Risk
At a Commonwealth summit panel in Antigua and Barbuda, the Rwandan president pushed back on the view that Global South markets are riskier than developed economies.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Economic Policy
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Rwandan President Paul Kagame called for changing the perception that Global South markets are riskier than developed economies during a high-level panel at the 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in St John's, Antigua and Barbuda. He said the notion of higher investment risk in the South than in the North is not true, because risks exist everywhere for any investment.
Why it matters
The remarks add to a long-running debate over how investors price risk in developing economies and whether that perception limits capital flows to projects with strong commercial potential. The CHOGM theme, "Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth," places the discussion squarely within the summit's agenda.
The 28th CHOGM brought together leaders from 56 Commonwealth member countries over four days, November 1 to 4, 2026. No quantified comparison of investment risk between Global South and developed markets was presented in the panel remarks, leaving the claim unmeasured in this session.
The players
Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame is the President of Rwanda, who has led the country since 2000 and is a prominent voice on African development and investment policy.
Andrew Holness
Andrew Holness is the Prime Minister of Jamaica, who has advocated for public-sector efficiency and the use of technology in government administration.
The details
Kagame said countries should strengthen cooperation and pool resources to mitigate investment risks in projects with strong commercial potential, and that regional market integration can expand opportunities beyond individual countries. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said technology and artificial intelligence could help improve government efficiency, and that governments should make public institutions more efficient to speed up project delivery.
Timeline
- November 1 to 4, 2026: 28th Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in St John's, Antigua and Barbuda
- Monday, November 2, 2026: Kagame speaks on the high-level investment panel
Economic Policy Context
The CHOGM 2026 theme, "Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth," frames this panel as an extension of the group's stated push to channel investment toward member economies. Kagame's argument that perceived southern risk is overstated speaks to the same investment-risk framing that multilateral development agendas have wrestled with for decades.
For investors and businesses weighing projects in developing markets, the debate over whether perceived risk matches actual risk shapes how capital is allocated and priced. Readers tracking cross-border investment should watch whether summit commitments on regional integration and risk-sharing translate into concrete project financing.
The takeaway
Perceived investment risk can be as consequential as actual risk, and summit-level calls for pooled resources and regional integration signal one route to changing that perception. Track follow-through on those pledges to judge whether the rhetoric shifts capital flows.
Further reading
Explore more in Economic Policy coverage on global investment and trade.
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