Is Africa a likely place for arbitration? At first thought, perhaps instinctively, many may feel it is not. Nevertheless, it is worth it to think again, to look at the facts and the future, and to revise some opinions. All African countries are independent, and are, or have been, undergoing major political and economical changes, with the private sector ever gaining in importance. African countries trade with the entire world, as well as with each other. Thus, Africa is increasingly becoming a place of modern commercial interest. English and/or French are spoken everywhere. The US Presidential rainbow tour of Africa earlier this year, with its motto ‘Trade Instead of Aid’, fully underscores this. Many African countries are revising or introducing arbitration legislation, or have already done so, often relying on the 1985 UNCITRAL Model Law. Out of the 50-something African countries, close to 30 have adhered to the 1958 New York Convention, and more than 40 to the 1965 ICSID Convention. Arbitration associations exist anywhere between the Cape and Cairo. Moreover, alternative dispute resolution is deeply rooted in African history and culture, and seems to come as naturally to Africans as, alas, litigation does to inhabitants of the industrialized world. In other words: no, Africa is certainly not an unlikely place for arbitration and deserves further attention and study.