Opening ceremony of AFIS 2024 in Casablanca. ©ACHRAF BSSARA/AFIS
Luanda Named Host for the 2026 African Financial Summit
Luanda is set to host the 2026 edition of the African Financial Summit (AFIS), making history as the first time this prominent financial gathering will take place in a southern African and Portuguese-speaking nation. The event is scheduled for November 3 and 4, aiming to bring together over 1,250 leaders from the financial sector, including bankers, insurers, fintech executives, regulators, pension fund managers, and investors. This summit comes as African nations intensify efforts to enhance financial integration and attract capital for economic growth.
AFIS’s Rising Profile Since Inception
Since its inception in 2021, spearheaded by the Jeune Afrique Media Group and the International Finance Corporation, AFIS has emerged as one of Africa’s foremost platforms for dialogue on monetary policy and deal-making. This evolution underscores a significant moment for the continent as it seeks to bolster both economic sustainability and collaborative efforts among various financial stakeholders.
Angola’s Economic Transformation Attracts Attention
The selection of Angola as the host reflects growing confidence in the nation’s economic reforms and its aspirations to emerge as a regional financial hub. Currently boasting an estimated GDP of $115 billion, Angola ranks among the ten largest economies in Africa and is actively pursuing reforms that aim to modernize its banking sector, advance digital finance, develop capital markets, and diversify its economy.
Addressing Challenges in African Finance
Organizers have noted that this summit is particularly timely, given the tightening global financial climate facing numerous African economies. There is an urgent call for a new continental financial architecture that would facilitate regional resource mobilization and lessen reliance on external capital. The discussions will focus on strategies to finance African economies by leveraging local capital, enhancing digital transformation, strengthening financial institutions, and deepening continental integration.
Enhancing International Investment in Angola
As part of the summit’s agenda, the emphasis will be on Angola’s ongoing challenges and opportunities, particularly regarding infrastructure investment, the bolstering of the Angola Stock Exchange (BODIVA), and its integration into the Southern African Development Community (SADC) free trade area. These developments are making Angola increasingly attractive to international investors eager to tap into its emerging markets.
AFIS as a Key Forum for Cooperation
According to Manuel Antonio Tiago Díaz, the President of the National Bank of Angola, AFIS has established itself as a leading forum for African finance. He emphasized its unique role in fostering cooperation and constructive dialogue aimed at addressing the continent’s pressing financial challenges. The summit is lauded for its ability to unify the diverse financial ecosystem and create impactful opportunities for collaboration.
Shaping the Future of African Finance
Amir Ben Yahamed, CEO of Jeune Afrique Media Group and founder of AFIS, remarked on the summit’s evolution into a crucial platform where regulators and stakeholders can collaborate to forge Africa’s financial future. He pointed out that the inaugural edition in Southern Africa will highlight Angola’s potential as a liberalizing market, offering participants opportunities to establish vital alliances that bolster regional economic initiatives.
The 2026 summit in Luanda will follow successful previous gatherings in Lomé and Casablanca, further expanding AFIS’s role in strengthening regional financial cooperation among African governments and institutions.
