Manuel António Tiago Dias, governor of Banco Nacional de Angola, the country’s central bank, speaks to AFIS about encouraging international banks’ entry into Angola, the next moves to regulate the fintech, mobile, and digital banking, and addressing “structural challenges” holding back prudential regulatory harmony across African jurisdictions.

He was speaking to the AFIS platform ahead of Africa Financial Summit, organised by the Jeune Afrique Media Group, and co-hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC). Registration is available now via this link.

As the Africa Financial Summit (AFIS) prepares to take place in Luanda on 3–4 November 2026, how would you describe Angola’s commitment to welcoming international investors and financial leaders, including banks and insurers?

The Africa Financial Summit (AFIS) in Luanda reflects Angola’s strong commitment to positioning itself as an attractive destination for international investment and to positioning itself among the five main financial markets on the African continent, with a particular focus on the sub-Saharan region.

In recent years, the country has implemented structural reforms to strengthen macroeconomic stability, improve the business environment, and strengthen the regulatory framework of the national financial system.

Angola has been consolidating its commitment to the modernisation and deepening of its financial system, creating an increasingly beneficial environment for investment, innovation and regional integration.

We are committed to creating favourable conditions for the entry of international banks, insurance companies and investors, promoting transparency, legal certainty and strategic partnerships.

By hosting AFIS, Angola reinforces its determination to assert itself as a credible, predictable and competitive destination for international investment, recognizing the financial system as an essential pillar for sustainable development and regional and international economic integration.

Ongoing tensions in the Middle East have generated significant volatility in global oil markets. As a major oil-producing nation, how is Angola navigating both the opportunities and challenges this situation presents for its economy and domestic financial sector?

International developments, in particular geopolitical tensions affecting energy markets, have a significant impact on the Angolan economy. As an important oil producer, Angola is, of course, exposed to the volatility of international crude oil prices, which continues to be the main export commodity and a determining source of revenue for the General State Budget.

As an oil-producing country, Angola benefits in periods of high prices, which strengthen tax and foreign revenues, although Angola is also dependent on imports of refined petroleum products, which in one hand, represents advantages in terms of exports. However, the volatility of international markets underlines the need to continue with the strategy of diversifying the national economy.

The priority remains the adoption of prudent fiscal policies, the strengthening of macroeconomic stability and the mitigation of risks to the financial system, especially those linked to dependence on the oil sector. For this reason, the Angolan government authorities are engaged in increasing internal refining and oil storage capacities, such as the future Lobito refinery that is under construction in the strategic corridor of the same name.

The increase in the price of oil, in the context of geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, represents a cyclical opportunity for Angola, by improving tax revenues and the country’s external position, because, although the increase in the price of oil may strengthen public finances in the short term, its effects on the cost of living require a balanced economic policy response.

Given the current economic environment, how much scope do you see for monetary policy easing across the African continent?

The African economic context today presents different realities between countries, with some showing greater room for a possible easing of monetary policy. Still, the scenario continues to require prudence, especially in view of the risks associated with inflation, exchange rate volatility and the evolution of international commodity prices.

In this context, any adjustment of monetary policy should be made gradually and adapted to the circumstances of each economy.

In the case of Angola, the Central Bank maintains price stability in the economy as a priority to preserve the value of the national currency, pursuing a prudent monetary policy oriented towards preserving price stability in the national economy.

Last December, the National Bank of Angola introduced new minimum capital requirements for banks. How do you anticipate this policy will reshape the country’s banking landscape over time, and is consolidation among the intended outcomes?

The strengthening of minimum share capital requirements is a central pillar of the prudential strategy, aiming to strengthen the soundness, resilience and shock-absorbing capacity of the Angolan banking system. This measure is in line with international best practices, reflecting the evolution of the prudential supervision model towards an increasingly risk-based approach.

The revision of the minimum share capital requirements, embodied in Notice No. 06/2025, of 18 December, in conjunction with the activation of the capital buffer for domestic systemically important institutions, configures a more solid and coherent prudential package. Its primary objective is to strengthen the credibility of the banking system and its capacity to absorb shocks, in a context marked by macroeconomic adjustments and structural vulnerabilities accumulated over the last few years.

The new minimum capital thresholds have established a higher and proportional base for the entire banking sector. This framework allows for a more efficient allocation of capital in the face of risk.

The eventual consolidation of the sector is not an end but can emerge as a natural result of adjusting to new prudential standards, contributing to the formation of more solid, efficient and competitive institutions, always safeguarding financial stability and the continuity of essential services.

A more robust and credible capital base also strengthens Angola’s attractiveness to long-term national and foreign strategic investors, reducing fragmentation by undersized institutions, increasing transparency and favouring investments that provide capital, knowledge and best governance practices, to the detriment of speculative flows.

The National Bank of Angola will continue to closely monitor the evolution of the sector and maintain an active dialogue with all stakeholders, ensuring that this adjustment process strengthens confidence, promotes sustainable financial intermediation and strengthens the stability of the financial system.

Several African central banks, such as Bank Al-Maghrib, have officially joined the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS), yet no major announcement has been made regarding the Banco Nacional de Angola’s adhesion. What is your position on PAPSS, and to what extent is adoption among Angolan commercial banks progressing in line with your expectations?

The National Bank of Angola is currently focused on securing its participation and that of Angolan commercial banks in the SADC real-time gross settlement system (SADC-RTGS), on allowing the Kwanza to be used as a settlement currency in SADC-RTGS, and on integrating the payment system with countries with which Angola has established bilateral cooperation protocols. Once these initiatives are completed, the National Bank of Angola will assess participation in PAPSS, as well as the conditions for the participation of Angolan commercial banks.

Fintech, digital wallets, and mobile banking are gaining strong traction in Angola. Late last year, the central bank issued new rules to strengthen customer identification and KYC requirements for e-money. Looking ahead, which other regulatory gaps in the fintech, mobile, and digital banking space do you consider most pressing and potentially requiring further action?

The legislative framework in these areas is currently robust, however, complementary regulations covering trust accounts, micro-savings and microcredit services within payment services are under development. In the medium term, the need for additional regulations or updates to the existing framework will be assessed in accordance with market dynamics and the evolution of the associated risks. It is also important to note that, in addition to the recent regulations issued for mobile payments, the National Assembly passed the Startups Law in March 2026.

The Banco Nacional de Angola recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with its Nigerian counterpart to enhance cross-border licensing and supervision of financial institutions. In your view, what key challenges remain to be addressed in order to further strengthen cross-border supervisory cooperation among African central banks?

From the perspective of the National Bank of Angola, the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Central Bank of Nigeria represents a relevant step in strengthening cooperation in cross-border supervision on the African continent, particularly in a context of increasing financial integration and regional expansion of banking financial institutions.

Despite the progress made, in terms of participation in the Community of African Banking Supervisors (CABS) and through the establishment of bilateral central bank instruments, structural challenges remain that require continued attention by African central banks. Among the main ones, the harmonisation of prudential regulatory frameworks, the convergence of supervisory practices and the need for more effective mechanisms for timely sharing of information on risks, governance and cross-border exposure of financial institutions stand out.

In addition, there is the challenge of strengthening the technical and operational capacities of supervisors, as well as the consolidation of joint crisis management and bank resolution tools, essential to mitigate systemic risks in an increasingly interconnected financial environment.

In this context, the BNA believes that the deepening of cross-border cooperation between central banks should be based on a gradual, pragmatic approach based on institutional trust, for the exchange of prudential information and the strengthening of supervision in the prevention and combating of money laundering and terrorist financing. To this end, it is proposed not only the use of bilateral agreements, but also a strategic articulation in regional and continental platforms of financial supervision, in line with the objectives of stability, soundness and sustainability of African financial systems.