Strategic Roundtable | Blockchain, AI and cyber resilience: Progressing e-KYC, fraud detection and digital innovation
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. English-French translation available. Thousands of fraudulent bank accounts were recently opened in South Africa using stolen credit bureau data, with hackers claiming to have siphoned R175 million in social grants – exposing major gaps in Africa’s digital identity and onboarding systems. As deepfakes, spoofed […]
Conversation With | Challenger banks: The neobanks disrupting the status quo
Digital-only banks are booming, with unicorns like MNT-Halan, TymeBank, and Moniepoint now joined by legacy giants (Old Mutual’s OMBank, Ecobank’s Fingo) and global players eyeing the market (Revolut in North Africa). These neobanks aren’t toppling the top-tier banks but are thriving in underserved segments and edging out lower-tier banks and microfinance institutions with user-friendly digital […]
Panel | Who controls African trade finance – and why isn’t it African banks?
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 […]
Panel | On the frontline of fiscal strain: How can financial firms manage sovereign debt exposure?
Banks, insurers, and asset managers are increasingly exposed to sovereign debt as African governments face mounting repayment burdens – draining 50% of public revenues in 2024 alone. Fears are rising that some nations may pressure institutions to subscribe to more sovereign debt, at the expense of private sector financing. While governments securities have been seen […]
Strategic Roundtable | Natural resources: Financing African ownership in oil, gas & mining
Access via sign-up on the event app or by invitation only. English-French translation available. Africa sits on vast reserves of oil, gas, and minerals, but too often, African companies play secondary roles as minority partners, subcontractors, or logistics service providers. High capital requirements, chronic difficulties in accessing patient capital, and limited financing tools prevent them […]
Panel | Trusting local banks with FX reserves: A move to boost sovereignty or a big risk?
As calls for greater financial autonomy grow, African states face choices about entrusting Pan-African commercial banks with their FX reserves and enabling domestic banks to manage FX risks. Both moves could reduce Africa’s exposure to offshore financial systems – easing reliance on foreign clearance networks and bringing home reserves parked predominantly in US Treasuries, Eurozone […]
Panel | From deal to listing: Preparing private equity exits through capital markets
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 […]
Conversation With | How to build an Africa-centred and globally aligned green taxonomy
Green taxonomies promise to bring clarity to sustainable finance – reducing greenwashing and transaction costs -but they also risk fragmentation if definitions diverge across markets. More than 30 competing regimes worldwide are already vying to channel the $2.4 trillion a year required for the green transition, of which Africa captures only a fraction. Can the […]
Head-to-Head | Debt-for-nature swaps: Climate solution or financial illusion?
As Africa’s external debt continues to escalate, now reaching $1.3 trillion, debt-for-nature swaps are proliferating across the continent with dual aims: advancing climate action and reducing debt burdens. Proponents view these mechanisms as an innovative way to free up fiscal space while financing conservation projects. But critics argue their impact is marginal: 36 swaps to date have […]
Keynote | BRICS, Eastern influence, de-dollarisation and tariffs – the macro trends and how to outplay them
As the BRICS are set to launch a guarantee fund to attract private capital to emerging markets, a new geoeconomic balance is taking shape. De-dollarization, the rise of protectionist policies, and the strengthening of South-South mechanisms are all signals of a gradual shift in global financial power. This keynote dissects the major macroeconomic trends at […]