Newable and African Business Trade Association partner to support UK businesses expanding into Africa
As UK-Africa trade momentum accelerates, a new alliance provides British SMEs with the direct on-the-ground corporate services and investment runway needed to scale successfully across African markets.
LONDON, 8 July 2026 – The African Business Trade Association (ABTA) and Newable Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU), under which ABTA will make its corporate services available to Newable, its Affiliates and, where applicable, its portfolio companies, to support their expansion into African markets. The MOU was signed on 6 May 2026.
Businesses looking to expand internationally typically need several things at once: the right legal structure and entity formation, ongoing compliance across multiple jurisdictions, tax and statutory accounting support, capital to fund growth, and practical, on-the-ground guidance. This partnership brings all of that together for UK businesses growing into African markets, combining ABTA’s corporate services with Newable’s investment, advisory support and workspace.
This collaboration arrives amid a sharp rise in UK-led interest in African enterprise, underscored by recent high-profile trade initiatives in the capital – including the Mayor of London hosting the inaugural London-Africa Business Summit at City Hall in June 2026. With total bilateral UK-Africa trade reaching approximately £52 billion over the past year, the partnership bridges a critical operational gap for British firms looking to turn commercial interest into structured, compliant market entry.
Dr Thom Webb, Deputy Managing Director at Newable, said: “We are seeing an unprecedented level of interest from UK SMEs looking to capture the immense growth opportunities across African markets, a trend clearly reflected in recent milestones like the London-Africa Business Summit. However, navigating international compliance, entity setup and local tax regulations remains a significant barrier to entry. This partnership allows us to remove those operational hurdles entirely, pairing Newable’s investment, workspace and advisory infrastructure with ABTA’s deep corporate services expertise to give our portfolio companies a seamless, secure route to international expansion.”
Dr Dayo Abinusawa, Executive Director of ABTA, said: “ABTA was set up to give international firms the practical expertise they need to turn interest in Africa into action. In 2025, African startups raised over $3 billion and there are significant opportunities across markets and industries, yet it can be a challenge to access them without the right partner. Newable brings genuine ambition among the businesses it supports, and this collaboration builds the bridge between the two.”
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About the African Business Trade Association
The African Business Trade Association (ABTA) is a London-based membership organisation connecting businesses, investors and institutions with African markets. ABTA operates the African Market Intelligence (AMI) platform providing market and sector insight, the Deal Room for capital introductions, and curated business matching; and practical support for market entry and expansion to businesses setting up, operating or expanding across the continent. The Africa Trade Forum is ABTA’s annual flagship event.
About Newable
Newable is a UK business-growth group that has worked with ambitious businesses since 1982. It provides investment, advisory support and workspace to SMEs, helping them start, scale and trade by combining long-term capital, hands-on advisory support and an operational platform of flexible workspaces. Newable became 100% employee-owned in 2023.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Yemi Ibimilua
Business Engagement
yemi@abta.africa