Africa Finance Corp to Host 5th Annual Symposium on Mobilizing Institutional Savings

AFC’s leadership in capital mobilization will be at the forefront of the discussions, showcasing the corporation’s expertise in crafting financing solutions that suit the unique needs of Africa’s economies.

Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), the continent’s premier infrastructure solutions provider, will be hosting the 5th edition of its highly anticipated Country & Stakeholder Symposium (CSS) tomorrow, April 8, 2025, from 12:30 to 14:00 WAT. This year’s event is set to focus on the theme, “Making Africa’s Institutional Savings Work Better for the Continent,” underscoring the urgent need for Africa to address its vast financing gap and accelerate long-term development across the region.

As Africa faces considerable infrastructure and developmental challenges, the Symposium seeks to highlight the critical role domestic institutional savings can play in bridging the financial divide. Through discussions, AFC aims to explore how the continent can mobilize its own capital resources to fund high-impact, sustainable projects that align with national development priorities.

The Symposium will bring together high-profile government officials, financial industry leaders, and institutional investors to discuss innovative strategies for capital mobilization, financial structuring, and the development of new financial products and asset allocation models. These discussions are intended to attract and retain institutional investors, thus ensuring that Africa’s vast savings are channeled into productive, growth-focused initiatives.

One of the key objectives of the event is to explore potential regulatory enhancements that can unlock domestic capital for investments while ensuring the protection of savers’ interests. With significant resources being held within local pension funds, insurance companies, and sovereign wealth funds, there is a growing recognition that these assets should be directed towards fueling the continent’s infrastructure and development projects.

AFC’s leadership in capital mobilization will be at the forefront of the discussions, showcasing the corporation’s expertise in crafting financing solutions that suit the unique needs of Africa’s economies. The Symposium will also present insights into AFC’s cutting-edge work in developing new financial products designed to attract institutional investors and make institutional savings work harder for Africa.

The event will feature a distinguished roster of speakers and panelists from both the public and private sectors, including:

• H.E. Vera Esperança dos Santos Daves De Sousa, Minister of Finance, Angola

• Dr. Brook Taye, CEO of Ethiopian Investment Holdings

• Kabelo Rikhotso, Chief Investment Officer at Public Investment Corporation (PIC), South Africa

• Armando Manuel, Chairman of the Angola Sovereign Wealth Fund

• Ayaan Zeinab Adam, Senior Director and CEO of AFC Capital Partners

The session will be moderated by Fifi Peters, Senior Anchor at CNBC Africa, ensuring an engaging and thought-provoking discussion among industry leaders. This important platform will allow attendees to delve into the challenges and opportunities that lie in leveraging domestic capital to accelerate Africa’s development goals.

The discussions at the Symposium are expected to spark new ideas for public-private partnerships and provide a deeper understanding of the financial strategies required to transform Africa’s investment landscape. By shifting the focus from external capital to utilizing Africa's own financial resources, the event aims to set the stage for more sustainable and locally driven solutions to the continent’s infrastructure and development challenges.

In addition to its central focus on capital mobilization, the event will also address broader economic and regulatory frameworks, ensuring that Africa’s institutional investors are provided with the tools and guidance needed to play a more proactive role in driving development. As Africa seeks to achieve its ambitious growth and development targets, the alignment of institutional savings with national development priorities will be a key area of focus.

With the continent’s development needs set to soar in the coming decades, the need for robust institutional frameworks, clear regulatory measures, and innovative financial strategies has never been more pressing. AFC’s Country & Stakeholder Symposium promises to be an important step forward in unlocking the potential of Africa’s institutional savings and securing a more prosperous future for the continent.