African finance enters the next decade from a position of strength. Its institutions are more profitable, sophisticated and innovative than ever – but financial strength has yet to translate into enough capital for the businesses, farms, infrastructure and industries that will drive Africa’s next phase of growth and job creation. Scale will matter. Yet bigger institutions alone will not close the gap. Africa’s next generation of financial champions will need the reach and expertise to turn African savings into productive investment, finance fragmented and underserved markets, compete across borders and make African finance a stronger engine of growth and jobs.
Key points
- Scale with purpose: How can consolidation, stronger balance sheets and cross-border expansion translate into greater capacity to finance productive investment rather than size for its own sake?
- Capital that reaches the economy: What will it take to channel more African savings and private capital towards businesses, agriculture and infrastructure — and create jobs at scale?
- Markets that make scale possible: How can technology, deeper financial integration and fit-for-purpose regulation extend the reach of African financial institutions across fragmented and underserved markets?