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 […]
Data-driven microfinance: What more can institutions and banks do to elevate impact?
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. With one of the most extensive points of sale and agent networks in the continent (e.g. 1,700 PoS in Morocco), microfinance institutions are hindered by heavy reliance on physical infrastructure. Partnerships with traditional institutions could diversify microfinance offerings (e.g. savings, payments, insurance), yet micro-lending […]
New International Economic Order: Where do African financial institutions weigh in?
To defend African interests and strengthen its position in the global financial landscape, the African Union convened the continent’s multilateral heavyweights to join the ‘Africa Club’. With its capital of $65 billion, the Africa Club aims to leverage its combined influence to reform the global financial architecture, while encouraging the mobilisation of funds nationally and […]
Critical Infrastructure: Increasing the supply of patient capital
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. Patient capital with a 10–20-year horizon is crucial to bridge Africa’s $108 billion annual infrastructure gap. In 2023, only 3% of global infrastructure investments reached sub-Saharan Africa as institutional investors prioritise stable, low perceived risk destinations with clear regulations. Capturing just 1% of global […]
Women in Finance Workshop | Future-proof training: Up-skilling women for the evolving digital landscape
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. Women are significantly underrepresented in Africa’s fintech scene, making up only 27% of roles across the continent, and even less in leadership positions. Only 3.2% of fintech firms are female-led and despite a growing wave of female entrepreneurs, there is a persistent gender gap […]
Disrupters Club | Eliminating bottlenecks in the $40bn embedded finance space
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. Africa and the Middle East’s industry to embed payments, credit, savings, investing and insurance products on non-financial platforms is set to almost triple in value by 2029 to around $40 billion. South African retailer Woolworths saw profits in its financial services segment double in […]
Capital markets: Connecting the dots between investors and issuers with fintech
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. GenZ investors are increasingly turning to low-entry-point investment apps like Trove, Bamboo, and Cowrywise. These platforms provide AI-driven insights and access to African stocks, bonds, and mutual funds, potentially boosting capital markets. Commercial banks could adopt similar models through fintech partnerships, but few have […]
SME finance: Strategic partnerships for the digital age
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. Small and medium enterprises are the backbone of African economies, central to employment, innovation, and economic growth. The financial industry has often considered such businesses too risky and too costly to serve, leaving a huge market opportunity unexplored. In recent years however, the adoption […]
How can commercial banks build a climate agenda with real impact for Africa?
Dominated by international funders and development banks, African climate finance faces an estimated annual funding gap of $250 billion – a gap that African commercial banks could help bridge. Increased participation from these banks could mobilise domestic and regional resources, optimise private sector capital reserves, and more effectively direct funding towards local projects. However, a […]