2025 AFIS Playlist

Moderator:
- Patrick COOKE – Head of Middle East and Africa, Euromoney

Speakers:
- Lina TONUI – Project Director, African Exchanges Linkage Project (AELP)
- Brahim BENJELLOUN TOUIMI – Chairman of the Board of Directors, Casablanca Stock Exchange
- Bassem GHARSALLI – VP & Country Manager, North Africa, Mastercard
- John Bosco SEBABI – Deputy CEO, PAPSS

Africa’s integration initiatives—AfCFTA, PAPSS, and AELP—aim to deepen financial connectivity across the continent. Yet most institutions currently expect limited rather than transformational impact (Deloitte-AFIS Barometer). Challenges include regulatory fragmentation, uneven digital infrastructure, currency volatility, and reluctance from governments to cede financial control.

With PAPSS launching an Africa Currency Marketplace and a PAPSS card and AELP expanding participating exchanges, this panel explores how regulatory coordination, risk mitigation, and currency trading frameworks can help financial institutions fully embrace these pan-African initiatives.

Key topics:
- Regulatory Harmony: What more can AfCFTA do to encourage banks and capital markets to adopt AELP and PAPSS?
- Dollar Dependence: What are the current transaction volumes through PAPSS & AELP, and are institutions ready to commit to African currency trading?
- Risk Mitigation: How can AfCFTA, PAPSS, and AELP jointly address forex volatility and build trust in local currency settlements?

Moderator:
- Alice SEE – Consultant in Strategic and Financial Communications, Editor-in-Chief/Moderator (FR & EN), Alice See Consulting

Speakers:
- Daniel NNOMO NTI – Head of Portfolio, Business Development, African Guarantee Fund
- Elizabeth Kibirige NAMUGENYI – Director, Partnerships and Blended Finance, IFC
- Josephine ANAN-ANKOMAH – Managing Director, Ecobank Kenya & Regional Executive, Central, Eastern & Southern Africa

Global aid is projected to drop by $31bn this year, placing immense pressure on credit and support systems for women-led SMEs and fintechs in Africa. With only ~2% of startup funding (~$10m) going to female founders in Q1 2025, a $49bn financing gap persists. Despite this, women-led ventures like South Africa’s Naked ($38m) and Kenya’s Pula ($10m) are breaking through.

This panel examines how African financial institutions, fintech innovation, and blended finance models can step in as traditional aid recedes, enabling sustainable support for women entrepreneurs across the continent.

Key Points:
- Sustainable Financing Instruments: How can banks and insurers design effective solutions for women-led SMEs and fintechs in a post-aid environment?
- Fintech & Insurtech Innovation: What role can mobile money, alternative credit scoring, and digital platforms play in widening access to finance?
- Development Finance & Aid: In a transactional world, what support can DFIs and international donors realistically provide to foster women’s entrepreneurship?

Moderator:
- Abdelmalek ALAOUI – CEO, Guepard Group

Speakers:
- Yasmina ASRARGUIS – Near Eastern Studies Department | Visiting Researcher, Princeton University
- Obaid AMRANE – CEO, Ithmar Capital
- Chukwuerika ACHUM – CEO, Falcon Aerospace (VivaJets)
- Solomon QUAYNOR – VP, Private Sector, Infrastructure and Industrialisation, African Development Bank (AfDB)
- Sérgio PIMENTA – CEO, Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund


Africa has 16 landlocked countries, more than any other continent, making efficient trade corridors from interior regions to seaports essential for economic growth. Projects like the Lobito Corridor ($2.3bn) and AfDB’s €157m upgrade to Burkina Faso–Côte d’Ivoire road links highlight the scale and cost of these initiatives. Strategic ports such as Tanger Med and Nador West Med are emerging gateways, but financing, regulatory frameworks, cross-border agreements, and governance models remain challenging.

This panel explores innovative finance mechanisms, priority infrastructure projects, and regional cooperation to unlock trade access for Africa’s landlocked countries.

Key topics:
- Innovative Financing: How can sovereign bonds, blended finance, and Corridor Special Purpose Vehicles fund inland trade corridors?
- Infrastructure Priorities: Which road or rail links urgently need construction or rehabilitation?
- Regional Cooperation: How can policy alignment accelerate corridor development across borders?

Moderator:
- Kenneth IGBOMOR – Market Editor, West Africa, CNBC Africa

Speakers:
- Sana ATTIG – Director, Insurance, Francophone Africa, Deloitte
- Gildas N'ZOUBA – Director, Côte d’Ivoire Zone & CEO, SUNU Assurances Côte d’Ivoire, Groupe SUNU
- Bachir BADDOU – Vice President, Fédération Marocaine d'Assurance (FMA)
- Linet ODERA – Chief Officer, Public Sector & Inclusive Solutions, ZEP-RE (PTA Reinsurance Company)

Africa’s insurance industry faces mounting challenges from tech-driven, climate, and food system shocks. From cyberattacks targeting government coffers and high-profile data leaks to climate disasters like El Niño, which left 20 million people facing hunger last year, the need for resilient insurance solutions has never been greater.

With weather-related losses for Santam climbing 12% YoY to $36m, and 91% of organizations globally anticipating a rise in AI-driven cyber threats, Africa’s $64bn insurance market must assess whether it can absorb these shocks. This panel explores what is required from governments, regulators, and capital markets to strengthen Africa’s insurance and risk management frameworks.

Key topics:
- Government & Regulatory Support: How can premium subsidies, anchor clients, and enhanced reinsurance & risk modelling boost system readiness?
- Capital Market Solutions: Can insurance-linked securities and catastrophe bonds provide relief, including coverage for cyber risks?
- Tech & Parametric Insurance: How can partnerships leveraging satellite, sensor, and ground-level data make parametric insurance effective against systemic shocks?

Moderator:
- Ondiro OGANGA – Africa Correspondent, Bloomberg News

Speaker:
- Blaise Abel EZO'O ENGOLO – Secretary General, Inter-African Conference on Insurance Markets (CIMA)

The rise of AI, digitalisation, and insurtech is transforming the African insurance industry, but it is also introducing new consumer protection risks. These include data privacy breaches, algorithmic bias, and opaque digital policies, often bundled through mobile money apps that consumers may not fully understand. While insurtech products are scaling rapidly across borders, this presents challenges for cross-border supervision and regulation.

With the AfCFTA driving prudential harmonisation and CIMA already working on aligning rules across 14 African markets, the key question remains: Can regulators across the continent achieve full Pan-African alignment when it comes to digital insurance standards?

In this conversation, we will explore the regulatory landscape and how African insurance markets can adapt to an AI-powered future without compromising consumer protection and market stability.


Key Points:
- AI and Digitalisation Risks: What new consumer protection challenges are emerging with the rise of AI and insurtech in African insurance?
- Mobile Money & Cross-Border Supervision: How are mobile-based insurance products scaling across borders, and what challenges does this pose for regulators?
- Regulatory Alignment: With CIMA and AfCFTA working on prudential harmonisation, is a Pan-African framework for digital insurance standards achievable?

Moderator:
Ramah NYANG – Journalist, CGTN/Bloomberg

Speakers:
- Jean-Claude Kassi BROU – Governor, BCEAO
- Michael ATINGI-EGO – Governor, Bank of Uganda
- André WAMESO – Governor, Central Bank of Congo
- Manuel Antonio Tiago DIAS – Governor, Banco Nacional de Angola

Sub-Saharan Africa is navigating a rapidly changing global financial landscape. With official development assistance projected to drop 16–28%, growing trade tariff pressures, and a historic $89bn in external debt service, African central banks face urgent questions about funding critical sectors—SMEs, green transition projects, digital infrastructure, and healthcare.

This panel brings together governors from Africa’s key economies to explore domestic resilience, strategic foreign partnerships, and the evolving global financial architecture that can support the continent’s growth amid tightening liquidity.

Key Points:
- Domestic Resource Mobilisation: Where and how can central banks strengthen internal financing for development?
- Hard Currency Access: How can policymakers ensure SMEs have reliable access to foreign currency to sustain operations?
- Global Capital Strategies: Evaluating the risks and opportunities of tapping Middle Eastern and Asian finance versus traditional Western sources.

Moderator:
John EVERINGTON – Middle East and Africa Editor, The Banker

Speakers:
- Aivo ANDRIANARIVELO – Governor, Central Bank of Madagascar
- Jean Pierre GODEME – Chairman & CEO, MADU
- Jean-Claude Kassi BROU – Governor, BCEAO
- Mustafa RAWJI – CEO, Rawbank
- Ini EBONG – Deputy Managing Director, First Bank of Nigeria
- Yamungu KAYANDABILA – Deputy Governor, Bank of Tanzania

As African nations pursue greater financial autonomy, questions arise around entrusting domestic and Pan-African banks with sovereign FX reserves. Bringing reserves home—currently parked in US Treasuries, Eurozone bonds, and foreign banks - could reduce reliance on foreign clearance networks and boost financial sovereignty.

But can African banks meet credit standards, governance, and risk management requirements needed to safely manage sovereign assets? This panel explores whether repatriating FX reserves is a prudent strategy or a significant risk.

Key topics:
- Framework for Domestic Custody: How can governments and central banks prepare top-tier African banks to safely hold FX reserves?
- Risk Management Strategies: What approaches can local banks use to manage and allocate sovereign reserves under compliant, risk-controlled frameworks?
- Regional Cooperation & Tools: How can swap agreements, reserve pooling, and PAPSS help central banks mitigate commercial bank FX exposure?

Moderator:
- Fatima OURIAGHLI – CEO, Finances News Hebdo & Bourse News

Speakers:
- Felix AMENOUNVE – Managing Director, BRVM
- Hana TEHELKU – Director General, Ethiopian Capital Market Authority
- Sidy DIAKHOUMPA – Partner - Lead Consulting Financial Services, Forvis Mazars

Family-owned businesses make up 70% of Africa’s private sector, yet they remain underrepresented in public markets, missing out on the opportunity to raise long-term capital. However, family-rooted firms like Boxer, Shri Krishana Overseas Ltd., and WeBuyCars have proven that there is investor appetite for IPOs, and businesses like TGCC, AKDITAL, and Vicenne have successfully raised substantial amounts in markets like Bourse de Casablanca.

Despite these successes, many family businesses hesitate to go public due to concerns over control, valuation uncertainty, and lack of tailored advisory services. This panel discussion explores how African stock exchanges can evolve to support these companies, offering adapted listing structures, governance tools, and cross-border listings to help family businesses unlock the full potential of public markets.

Key Topics:
- Accessing Public Markets with Control: How can African family businesses go public while maintaining control over strategic decisions?
- Intergenerational Succession & Governance: How can stock market listings be used for governance, succession planning, and professionalizing family businesses?
- Stock Market Innovation: What frameworks and listing innovations are needed to support family business growth and attract long-term, patient capital?
- Dual-Class Shares & Phased IPOs: How can African stock exchanges evolve to accommodate family businesses with unique needs?

Moderator:
- Julians AMBOKO – Host, Business Redefined & CFO Chat, Nation Media Group

Speakers:
- Rowan GORDON – CEO, Nimble Group
- Hadiza AMBURSA – Executive Director, Commercial Banking, Access Bank
- El-Hassana KABA – Founder & CEO, MANSA BANK
- Cláudia CONCEIÇÃO – Director, Southern Africa, IFC
- Felix EGBON – Chief Risk Officer, Zenith Bank

With NPL ratios reaching up to 16% in regions like Kenya and CEMAC, African banks face significant challenges in managing bad debt. To ease these pressures, the development of secondary markets for non-performing loans (NPLs) offers a promising solution. Drawing inspiration from the EU’s post-2008 financial crisis recovery, this panel will explore how African countries can create dynamic, thriving NPL markets.

The discussion will cover key topics like improving loan data quality, establishing favorable legal and regulatory frameworks, and structuring investment vehicles to facilitate NPL transactions. Experts will share strategies for overcoming pricing gaps and building the market infrastructure to attract private sector investors and reduce the burden of bad debt on banks.

Key points:
- Loan Data Quality & Debt Enforcement: How to improve loan data and strengthen debt enforcement to attract NPL buyers?
- Investment Vehicles: Structuring investment vehicles that facilitate NPL sales and resolution
- Resolution Practices: Exploring best practices for resolving NPLs, including out-of-court solutions
- Regulatory Frameworks: What regulatory changes are necessary to support the creation of NPL secondary markets in Africa?

Moderator:
- Aurélie M'BIDA – Editor-in-Chief, Business and Economy, Jeune Afrique

Speaker:
- Serge EKUE – President, West African Development Bank (BOAD)

In this thought-provoking session at AFIS 2025, Serge Ekué, President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD), discusses the urgent need for Africa to reform the global financial architecture and assert its rightful place in global economic governance. With Africa facing a severe debt crisis and being allotted only 4.5% of the IMF’s Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the conversation focuses on bold, actionable reforms to ensure the continent’s financial interests are prioritized.

One of the key proposals from Ekué is to turn SDRs into an investment instrument for regional development banks, which would bolster infrastructure and economic growth in Africa. This roundtable session dives into the details of this proposal, the challenges of managing African debt, and the steps needed for a more equitable financial system. Join us to understand how Africa can push for reforms to better manage its financial future.

Key Topics:
- Reforming Global Financial Structures: How Africa can push for a more equitable share of global financial resources.
- Leveraging SDRs for Regional Growth: Transforming Special Drawing Rights into an investment tool for African development banks.
- Debt Management and IMF Reform: Practical steps towards managing Africa's debt crisis and securing the continent's place in the global economy.
- The Role of Regional Development Banks: How institutions like BOAD can drive regional development through strategic investments.

Moderator:
- Ramah NYANG – Journalist, CGTN/Bloomberg

Speakers:
- Charles DE BOISRIOU – Partner & Member of the African Regional Committee, Forvis Mazars
- Gilles TCHAMBA – CEO, L'Archer
- Khalid SAFIR – CEO, CDG Morocco
- Denis Charles KOUASSI – Managing Director, CNPS
- Kevin NJIRAINI – Director of Syndicated Loans and Mobilization, IFC

Africa's institutional investor assets now exceed $230 billion, but less than 10% is invested in domestic markets, and just 1.5% in infrastructure or alternative assets. With pension funds largely concentrated in short-term government securities, how can the continent leverage its institutional capital for growth? This roundtable examines successful examples from Kenya, South Africa, and Morocco, where pooled consortia and innovative financing structures have driven local infrastructure and development.

Key Points:
- Which market instruments can unlock institutional investment in Africa? Green bonds, securitised infrastructure, SME debt funds?
- How can regional pooled platforms and credit enhancements overcome scale and liquidity barriers?
- What reforms are needed to increase long-term allocations without compromising solvency or returns?

Speakers:
- Akef EL MAGHRABY – Managing Director & CEO, Suez Canal Bank
- Moncef BELKHAYAT – Chairman, BLS Buildings & Logistics Services and Dislog
- Lynette de BEER – Acting CEO, National Credit Regulator of South Africa
- Bradwin ROPER – Chief Payments Partnerships, Growth & New Markets, JUMO
- Abderrahim BOUAZZA – Director General, Bank Al-Maghrib
- Olivier BUYOYA – Regional Director West Africa, IFC

Moderator:
- Aurélie M'BIDA – Editor-in-Chief, Business and Economy, Jeune Afrique

SMEs employ 80% of Africa’s workforce, and nine out of ten new jobs on the continent are created by growing companies. But how can African financial sector stakeholders better support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), especially those led by women and youth entrepreneurs, to strengthen the continental jobs agenda? What lessons and inspiration can we draw from each other to unlock this potential?

Key topics :
- Building Entrepreneurial Pathways: How can we create an enabling ecosystem for SMEs to sustainably expand and access finance?
- Next-Generation Credit Scoring: Exploring the opportunities and risks of AI and alternative data in unlocking SME finance across African markets.
- Policy and Regulation: Designing policies that support a range of financing instruments for SMEs while maintaining financial stability and investor protection.

Moderator:
- Julien WAGNER – Head of Media Diversification and Rankings, Jeune Afrique Media Group

Speakers:
- Mounir NAKHLA – CEO & Founder, MNT-Halan
- Jean-Louis MENANN-KOUAME – CEO, Orange Bank Africa

Digital-only banks, also known as neobanks, are rapidly gaining traction across Africa, challenging traditional banking models and creating a massive shift in the financial landscape. Unicorns like MNT-Halan, TymeBank, and Moniepoint, along with global players such as Revolut entering the North African market, are making waves by offering alternative credit scoring, user-friendly digital wallets, and innovative banking services in underserved segments.

In this session at AFIS 2025, two of Africa’s leading neobanks, Mounir Nakhla (MNT-Halan) and Jean-Louis Menann-Kouame (Orange Bank Africa), discuss the challenges and opportunities of building sustainable digital-only banking models in Africa. Despite their rapid growth, many neobanks still operate at a loss — but what’s next for them? How will they scale, and can they overcome the hurdles of profitability and market penetration?

Key Topics:
- Neobanks vs Traditional Banks: How challenger banks are disrupting the African banking landscape.
- Digital Wallets and Credit Scoring: Exploring how alternative credit scoring and user-friendly digital wallets are transforming financial access for underserved populations.
- Sustainable Growth: What it takes for neobanks to scale sustainably in competitive African markets.
- Challenges of Profitability: Are neobanks’ models built to last, or are they doomed to fail?

Moderator
- Kenneth Igbomor : Market Editor, West Africa, CNBC Africa

Speakers / Experts
- Mehdi Tazi – Chairman, Cover Edge
- Baghayo Saqware – Commissioner of Insurance & Director General, Tanzania Insurance Regulatory Authority (TIRA)
- Namakau Mundia Ntini – CEO, Pensions and Insurance Authority, Republic of Zambia
- Ouafae Mriouah – CEO, Atlantic Re
- Marie Vincent Katshingu – Deputy Director & Head of Microinsurance and Parametric Insurance, ARCA (DRC)

Just over two-thirds of African insurance CEOs surveyed by Continental Re say that penetration rates “do not matter” to them—a revealing signal of how market incentives diverge from national policy priorities. With insurance penetration standing at 2.4% for life and 1.1% for non-life across the continent : far below global averages. Millions remain vulnerable to climate shocks, health crises, and income volatility.

Key Topics
- Turning agricultural and informal sector insurance into a viable business opportunity: How can government–supervisor collaboration make these markets attractive for private insurers?
- Regulatory levers for scale: What roles can mandates, digital onboarding, premium subsidies, and product innovation play in expanding microinsurance and agricultural coverage?
- Integrating informal systems: How can tontines, cooperatives, and community groups be connected to formal insurance markets while preserving trust, reach, and accountability?

Moderator
- Aruoture ODDIRI – TV Host, Arise TV

Speakers
- Mayowa KUYORO – Partner and Head of Africa Financial Services Group & EEMA Fintech and Payments Practice Leader, McKinsey & Company
- Rajat DAYAL – CEO, Yabx Technologies
- Coura Carine SENE – Regional Director, Wave Mobile Money Group
- Nabil AMAR – Chairman, Cash Plus
- Abdeslam ALAOUI SMAILI – CEO, HPS

Bank–fintech and microfinance institution (MFI) collaborations delivering digital banking, credit and payment products to Africa’s 44 million MSMEs live or die by how they're structured. Some have collapsed due to profit sharing disputes and competitive tensions. Others, like Safaricom and NCBA's M-Shwari have been vastly successful. Agreeing on profit and data sharing, allocating liability for fraud or credit risk, and ensuring seamless API integration can make-or-break partnerships. From AI-powered credit scoring to real-time digital payment systems that generate the transaction histories MSMEs need to qualify for credit, how can partnerships be structured to plug Africa’s $330 billion SME financing gap?

Key points :
- What are the key determinants of a winning fintech-MFI-bank partnership?
- Could fintechs and telcos growing to the scale of traditional banks, and banks enhancing their own fintech capabilities, threaten the future of partnerships?
- How can the new frontiers for AI in credit scoring, detecting customer transaction patterns and fraud support MSMEs at scale?

Moderator:
- Eden HARRIS – Special Correspondent for Connecting Africa, Financial Times

Speakers:
- Souad EL OUAZZANI – Partner, Forvis Mazars
- Dr. George Agyekum DONKOR – President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID)
- Djalal KHIMDJEE – Deputy CEO, Proparco
- Mehdi TAZI RIFFI – CEO, Tanger Med
- Laila NORDINE – Global Head, Sustainable Finance, Financial Institutions Group, IFC
- Karim EZZEDDINE – VP, SkyKapital
- Ahmed ABOUBACRINE – Head, Rabat Regional Hub, Islamic Development Bank Group

Africa’s potential in the climate finance space remains largely untapped. Despite key developments such as Morocco’s green bond issuances and Nigeria’s green sukuk, the continent represented less than 1% of the global Green, Social, and Sustainability (GSS) bond market in 2024, with issuances dropping 25% from the previous year. While pioneering initiatives like Seychelles’ blue bond and Gabon’s debt-for-nature swap have demonstrated promise, Africa’s climate finance ecosystem still lacks scale and consistency.

This panel session will explore how Africa can transition from isolated GSS bond deals to a scalable, integrated climate finance ecosystem that aligns with national development strategies. Key discussions will focus on green sukuk, blue bonds, and Islamic finance as mechanisms to mobilize capital for climate-aligned infrastructure projects and to address maritime climate risks, port financing, and climate adaptation.

Key Points:
- Scaling Climate Financing Solutions: How can Africa expand beyond green bonds to finance maritime climate risks, port infrastructure, and social development?
- Islamic Finance & Green Sukuk: What role can green sukuk play in mobilizing regional capital for climate-aligned infrastructure?
- Incentives & De-Risking Tools: What guarantees, tax incentives, and pipeline development strategies are essential to move beyond pilot projects to scalable, sustainable climate finance solutions?

Moderator:
- John EVERINGTON – Middle East and Africa Editor, The Banker

Speakers:
- Dr. Patrick NJOROGE – Chair, AFIS Supervisory Council
- Aissata Koné SIDIBE – CEO, Coris Bank International Mali
- Tarik BCHIR – Director of the Treasury, Kingdom of Morocco
- Youssef ROUISSI – General Manager, CIB, Executive Committee Member, Attijariwafa Bank

In 2024, over 50% of African governments' public revenues will go toward debt repayments. This mounting pressure has led banks, insurers, and asset managers to become more exposed to sovereign debt, raising critical concerns for financial stability. With some countries struggling under the weight of their debt burdens, are we witnessing a "deadly embrace" where financial institutions are forced to absorb more sovereign debt at the expense of private sector financing?

This panel discussion explores how the African financial sector can manage sovereign debt exposure, mitigate risks from currency devaluations, debt restructurings, and identify tools like hedging, credit insurance, and portfolio diversification. Can African banks and investors diversify away from sovereign debt, and how can they protect themselves in a time of increasing fiscal strain?

Key Topics:
- Government Reliance on Commercial Banks: How much can governments lean on banks without destabilizing the system?
- Diversifying Sovereign Debt Exposure: How can financial institutions diversify investments away from sovereign debt amid rising debt levels in Africa?
- Risk Management Strategies: What tools—hedging, credit insurance, portfolio diversification—should financial institutions employ to mitigate exposure to sovereign debt?
- Navigating the Debt Crisis: How can financial players survive amid potential debt restructurings, currency crashes, and rising public debt?

Moderator:
- Damien JACQUART – Leader Financial Advisory, Francophone Africa, Deloitte

Speakers:
- James MWORIA – CEO, Centum Investment Company Plc
- Josephine Okui OSSIYA – CEO, Capital Market Authority - Uganda
- Nasser SEDDIQI – Senior Director - Market Activities, AMMC
- Omar BEKKALI – Director, AfricInvest Group
- Vasco JANUÁRIO – Executive Director, Comissão do Mercado de Capitais (CMC) - Angola
- Dahlia KHALIFA – Regional Director, Central Africa & Anglophone West Africa, IFC

Only around 10% of Private Equity (PE) exits in Africa came via IPOs in 2024—undermining stock market development—while trade sales and secondaries continue to dominate. One overlooked barrier to IPOs is internal: most portfolio companies are not structured to become listed entities. Some investors like Mediterrania Capital Partners have however engineered successful IPOs on the Casablanca Stock Exchange by embedding exit-readiness early - through governance upgrades and public-market-aligned reporting. This roundtable gathering investors and regulators explores how to turn IPOs into a credible exit path across African markets.

Key Points:
- What listing-readiness processes - governance, audit, transparency, investor engagement -should PE firms embed from day one?
- How can African exchanges co-develop tailored exit pathways via phased IPOs, mid-cap segments, simplified disclosure regimes?
- What collaborative tools, such as GP–stock exchange dialogues, early listing diagnostics, and capital market alliances, can accelerate IPO adoption?

Speakers:
- Xavier JOPART – Executive Advisor, McKinsey & Company
- Thierry HEBRAUD – CEO, Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB)
- Rabah RAHMANI – Managing Director, Zenith Bank France
- Cheryl BUSS – Chief Executive, Absa International
- Haytham EL MAAYERGI – EVP, Global Trade Bank, Afreximbank

Moderator:
- Eden HARRIS – Special Correspondent for Connecting Africa, Financial Times

Pan-African banks could become the go-to providers of correspondent banking for intra-African trade and exports to Africa - spaces dominated by international clearing banks. Yet thin FX reserves, weaker credit ratings than global peers, and risk perceptions hinder progress. As domestic banks expand into global financial hubs, fill gaps left by global bank exits, and back systems like PAPSS that bypass third-party currencies, how can they grow trade finance share without over-relying on DFIs? What past experiences, especially in former Asian emerging markets, could prove valuable?

Key points
- Trade within Africa: How can SME collateral and credit data gaps be tackled so African banks can lead in clearing cross-border SME trade finance?
- Trade to Africa: What trust barriers and governance will make African banks the correspondent partner of choice for global exporters to Africa?
- Which embedded finance and innovative digital offerings can position domestic banks as leaders?

Speakers:
- Frederic MAURY – Deputy CEO, Events, Jeune Afrique Media Group
- Ziad BADDOU – Director, Deloitte Consulting Morocco

Deloitte and AFIS unveil the findings from the 5th African Financial Industry Barometer, an annual survey that captures the insights of senior executives across banking, insurance, fintech, and capital markets. This report sheds light on how the sector is navigating the challenges and upheavals impacting global finance today.

Key topics :
- Incentives for local investment: Institutional investors need incentives to invest locally as domestic markets lack depth and liquidity.
- Key barriers for investment: High risk and high cost are major obstacles for institutional investors in Africa — managing both is key.
- Collaboration gap: While regulators cooperate, African champions must work together and share success to strengthen the financial ecosystem.

Speakers:
- Nadia FETTAH – Minister of the Economy & Finance, Kingdom of Morocco
- Aigboje AIG-IMOUKHUEDE – Chairman, Access Holdings & Coronation Group
- Jules NGANKAM – Group CEO, African Guarantee Fund
- Jeremy AWORI – Group CEO, Ecobank Transnational Inc.
- Ethiopis TAFARA – Regional Vice President, Africa, IFC

Moderator:
- Manal BERNOUSSI – Founder & Managing Director, Leaders on Purpose

Despite a 75% surge in FDI last year, Africa faces leaner times ahead due to US tariffs, geopolitical tensions, and aid cuts. To secure its future, Africa must tap into its vast domestic capital — from pension funds, sovereign wealth, insurance assets, commercial banks, fintech platforms, and foreign exchange reserves. The challenge: transforming Africa’s 1.55 billion people into active participants in capital markets.

Key topics :
- Institutional Capital: Mobilizing pension funds, sovereign wealth, and insurance assets to support private sector growth.
- Supporting Local Champions: Strengthening local businesses in sectors like natural resources, energy, logistics, and trade finance.

Fintech & Digital Platforms: Leveraging fintech and digital platforms to channel domestic savings into productive investments.

Speakers:

- Nadia FETTAH: Minister of the Economy & Finance, Kingdom of Morocco

- Makhtar DIOP: Managing Director, IFC

- Amir BEN YAHMED: CEO, Jeune Afrique Media Group

Moderator:

- Anne-Marie DIAS BORGES: Journalist & Moderator

In this engaging opening ceremony, thought leaders and industry experts discuss how Africa can unlock its full economic potential. The conversation emphasizes that Africa doesn't lack resources — it lacks the channels to effectively mobilize them.

Key topics :

- Reforming regulations and deepening markets to create stronger financial ecosystems.
- The next frontier: Expanding mass investment accounts via fintechs and banks, empowering savers to become investors.
- True economic sovereignty: Achieved through trust, collaboration, and scaling efforts, rather than isolation.

Watch now to hear insightful perspectives on the future of African finance and its path to sustainable growth.

#AFS2025 #AfricaFinancialSummit #FinanceAfricaine

Day 2 of the Africa Financial Summit 2025 brought together Africa’s financial leaders — from ministers and central bank governors to CEOs and fintech founders — to shape a unified, innovative, and resilient financial future for the continent.

🌍 Leadership & Expertise
Keynote speeches and strategic dialogues from leaders including ministers, governors and CEOs of Africa’s top banks and insurers — sharing visions for a world-class African financial industry.

💡 Innovation & Digital Transformation
From mobile money to artificial intelligence, the day highlighted how digital innovation is redefining access and efficiency across Africa’s financial ecosystem.

🤝 Financial Inclusion
Discussions focused on empowering women-led SMEs and micro-entrepreneurs through new credit models, Insurtech solutions and inclusive finance mechanisms.

🌱 Sustainable Finance & Climate
Panels explored the rise of green bonds, ESG standards adapted to Africa, and climate-resilient investment strategies for long-term growth.

🔗 Financial Integration
Debates centred on harmonisation of regulations, cross-border payment systems like PAPSS, and the role of the AfCFTA in deepening intra-African trade.

🧩 Resilience & Stability
Experts analysed monetary policy, inflation management and cybersecurity risks, reaffirming the industry’s strong confidence score (8.10 / 10).


#AFS2025 #AfricaFinancialSummit #FinanceAfricaine

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