Central Bank Governors: Forging a consolidated financial landscape
Nigeria and Kenya are spearheading financial sector consolidation by proposing to increase minimum banking capital requirements tenfold. In other countries, similar initiatives are emerging more timidly. This leaves many markets full of smaller players that lack the means to fund complex, growth-essential projects. How can central banks achieve consolidation without hurting MSME lending in the […]
Beyond restructuring: How to build an equitable architecture for African debt?
Africa faces the highest external public debt borrowing and servicing costs in the world, with debt service obligations of $163 billion this year. According to a number of experts, this is partly due to an unfairly inflated perception of credit risk and inappropriate international banking rules. At the same time, restructuring mechanisms such as the […]
Trade finance: Bridging Africa’s correspondent banking gap
African commercial banks based in low-credit-rating countries are finding it difficult to establish appropriate correspondent banking relationships with international banks, many of which have withdrawn from Africa. Dr. Sidi Ould Tah, President of the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA), Admassu Tadesse, Group President and CEO of Eastern and Southern Africa’s Trade and […]
Disrupters Club | Innovating under pressure: The future of African fintech payments
Africa’s mobile payments market is on the cusp of explosive growth—750 million users and revenue jumping from $3.5 billion to $20 billion by next year. But in the past six months, new regulations have started to shake the fintech landscape. Kenya’s recent data protection fines targeting major players could restrict access to vital cross-border data, […]
SWIFT alternatives: Fuelling faster and cheaper international payments
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. Stable coins, PAPSS, regional payment systems like Buna, fintech providers, a BRICS payment system, blockchain and CBDCs have all been put forward as alternatives to SWIFT, the world’s dominant method to facilitate cross-border payments. These options offer possibilities to tackle inconsistent and often high […]
Insurance’s role in a climate-altered future: From risk to resilience
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. Weather-related disasters impacting Africa surged by 75% from 2014 to 2023, exacerbating the disaster risk insurance gap. Insurers could play a crucial role in helping businesses and individuals absorb losses from flood, drought and climate-induced epidemics. But data gaps, limited risk transfer tools, and […]
IDFC & BOAD Side Event | Climate Finance: An Innovative Solution for the African Financial Industry
Access by invitation only. This private event will bring together high-level experts and key speakers, including Serge Ekué, Co-President of the IDFC and President of the West African Development Bank (BOAD), and Adama Mariko, Secretary General of FiCS and Deputy Director for Mobilization, Partnerships and Communication of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD). Discussions will […]
Side Event Capital Markets | Developing Market Liquidity: What New Products and Markets to Offer Investors?
The African financial market is undergoing significant transformation, with a market capitalization of approximately $1 trillion in 2023, experiencing annual growth of 5% to 10% in certain regions. In 2022, bond issuances in sub-Saharan Africa exceeded $30 billion, reflecting a growing interest in debt as a financing tool. Despite this momentum, challenges remain in terms […]
Unified market, uneven rules: How deep can insurance integration go under AfCFTA?
A draft AfCFTA framework on financial services could, if approved, drive regulators, including in insurance, to harmonise prudential measures. While Africa’s insurance sector has made strides in aligning minimum capital requirements and domestication policies in the CIMA zone, other harmonisation initiatives – such as cross-border motor accident cover in West and East Africa – have […]
Side-Event | CIFF & BwB | Financing essential government projects: Mobilising domestic and international resources through innovative financial instruments
The annual financing gap for infrastructure in Africa ranges between $53 billion and $96 billion, a figure that was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Fostering innovative financing solutions that tap into the vast domestic savings managed by African institutional investors, estimated at $1.85 trillion, can provide a sustainable funding source to bridge the continuing financing […]