African Development Bank Hosts Global Integrity Summit in Cape Town

Paula Santos-Da Costa, Director of the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption at the African Development Bank Group, emphasised the importance of collaboration among development institutions.

The African Development Bank Group has concluded the 2026 Private Sector Integrity (PSI) Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, bringing together integrity and compliance experts from 27 multilateral development banks and development finance institutions (DFIs).

Held from 30 March to 1 April under the theme "Integrity in Transformation: Shaping the Future of Development Finance," the three-day gathering focused on strengthening integrity systems and addressing emerging risks in development finance. The event marked a milestone for African participation, with six African development finance institutions joining the African Development Bank as host. Organisers said this represented the strongest presence of African DFIs in the history of the PSI network, highlighting the growing importance of integrity and compliance across the continent's financial sector.

Integrity seen as key to attracting investment

In his opening remarks, Dr Kennedy Mbekeani, Director General for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery for Southern Africa, stressed that strong integrity standards are essential for achieving development goals. He noted that development institutions must maintain trusted due diligence systems if they are to attract private investment and mobilise capital on a larger scale.

Throughout the workshop, participants explored a wide range of issues affecting the future of development finance. Discussions covered integrity risk measurement, governance challenges in sovereign operations, different organisational models for compliance functions, and ways to strengthen institutional accountability.

Focus on technology and cross-border cooperation

The programme also examined how artificial intelligence and digital technologies are changing compliance and risk management practices. Experts discussed opportunities and challenges linked to emerging technologies, while sharing experiences on combating illicit financial flows and financial misconduct. Sessions included panel discussions, interactive exercises, technical presentations, and contributions from specialists, including a guest speaker from South Africa's Financial Intelligence Centre.

Paula Santos-Da Costa, Director of the Office of Integrity and Anti-Corruption at the African Development Bank Group, emphasised the importance of collaboration among development institutions. She said integrity challenges often extend across borders and require coordinated responses from organisations working in different regions and sectors. The African Development Bank said it remains committed to strengthening its own integrity frameworks while continuing to support regional and global cooperation aimed at improving transparency, accountability, and trust in development finance.