Panel | Green, social and blue Bonds and green sukuk: Building Africa’s climate finance toolbox
Africa represented less than 1% of global GSS bond issuances in 2024, with volumes dropping to just $1.35bn – down 25% from 2023. Despite Morocco issuing seven green bonds worth $500 million, most issuances remain one-off transactions. Notable niche issuances include Nigeria’s $30 million sovereign green sukuk (2017), Seychelles’ pioneering $15 million blue bond (2018), […]
Panel | Tech, climate & food ecosystem exposures: Can insurance absorb the coming shockwaves?
With cyberattacks targeting government coffers, a high-profile CNSS data leak in Morocco, and more frequent El Niños that left 20m facing hunger in Southern Africa last year: Africa’s insurance industry must build capacity to offer safety nets to mounting systemic threats. But with weather-related losses for Santam alone climbing 12% YOY to $36m and 91% […]
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 […]