Africa turns to Luanda for talks on growth financing, economic resilience

The Africa Financial Summit (AFIS), one of the continent’s gatherings for finance industry leaders, will hold its 2026 edition in Luanda, Angola, marking the first time the annual summit will take place in Southern Africa.

Scheduled for November 3–4, 2026, the summit is expected to bring together more than 1,250 participants, including bankers, insurers, fintech executives, regulators, development finance institutions, and policymakers, as Africa intensifies efforts to strengthen financial integration and mobilise capital for economic growth.

Founded in 2021 by Jeune Afrique Media Group and International Finance Corporation, AFIS has grown into a major platform for high-level dialogue on the future of African finance, combining strategic sessions, technical workshops, bilateral meetings, and networking aimed at facilitating partnerships and transactions.

The decision to host the summit in Luanda reflects Angola’s growing ambition to position itself as a regional financial centre, following previous editions in Lomé and Casablanca.

With an estimated gross domestic product of $115 billion, Angola ranks among Africa’s 10 largest economies and has embarked on broad reforms to modernise its financial system. These include strengthening banking regulation, accelerating digital financial services, deepening capital markets, and attracting foreign investment.

The increasing role of the Angolan stock exchange, BODIVA, alongside infrastructure investment and Angola’s participation in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) free trade framework, has further enhanced the country’s appeal as an emerging financial hub.

The 2026 summit comes at a time when African economies are grappling with tighter global liquidity conditions, rising financing constraints, and growing calls for a stronger African-led financial architecture.

Organisers said discussions at AFIS 2026 will focus on mobilising domestic capital, accelerating continental financial integration, driving digital transformation, and strengthening African financial institutions to improve financing for businesses and economies across the continent.

Manuel Antonio Tiago Dias, governor of Angola’s National Bank, described AFIS as a critical platform for collaboration across Africa’s financial ecosystem.

“AFIS is today a leading forum for finance in Africa. Few events offer such an opportunity to bring together the entire ecosystem and work collectively,” Dias said.

He added that the summit provides a strategic forum for discussions around the continent’s major economic and financial challenges.

AFIS is overseen by a supervisory council comprising some of Africa’s leading financial executives and policymakers, including Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, chairman of Access Holdings and Coronation Group; Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, governor of BCEAO; and senior executives from IFC, the African Development Bank, Absa, and Mauritius Commercial Bank.

Amir Ben Yahmed, chief executive officer of Jeune Afrique Media Group and founder of AFIS, said the summit has evolved beyond an annual event into a platform for shaping Africa’s financial future.

“The Africa Financial Summit is much more than an event. It has become a leading platform where regulators and financial players jointly build the future of African finance,” he said.

He noted that the choice of Angola reflects growing investor interest in liberalising African markets with significant untapped potential.

Ethiopis Tafara, IFC Vice-President for Africa, said the summit would continue to serve as a platform for translating ambition into concrete investment outcomes.

“At AFIS, we bring together African financial leaders to turn ambition into action by mobilising private capital to create jobs, strengthen resilience, and support the continent’s growth,” Tafara said.