By: Lonwabo Mtyeku | Photo Credit: Supplied
Cape Town, South Africa — Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) is set to convene global finance and policy leaders at the second African Markets Conference (AMC 2026), taking place from 22 to 24 February 2026 in Cape Town. Building on the momentum of its inaugural edition, the conference positions itself as a high-impact platform to mobilise global capital at scale in support of Africa’s long-term growth and development agenda.
AMC 2026 will bring together global institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, development finance institutions, and African policymakers at a critical juncture for the continent’s economic trajectory. The conference seeks to move beyond perception-driven narratives and translate Africa’s structural opportunities into bankable, investable outcomes.
According to Luvuyo Masinda, Chief Executive of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group, the 2026 conference is designed to bridge the persistent gap between policy ambition and market execution.
“This year’s engagement bridges the gap between policy ambitions and market realities. Africa urgently needs practical measures to deepen capital pools, improve market liquidity, and strengthen regulatory frameworks that give investors confidence to deploy capital at scale,” Masinda said.
“Mobilising capital is not just about funding projects; it is about building the foundation of a more balanced and inclusive global economy.”
Africa’s investment challenge is stark. Projections indicate that by 2050 the continent will add one billion people, with more than half living in urban centres. Yet Africa currently invests only $75 billion annually in infrastructure—just half of the estimated $150 billion required each year to meet development needs. Against this backdrop, Standard Bank aims to ensure that African priorities remain central to global financial discourse, while shifting capital allocation from short-term flows to long-term, productive investment.
Five Strategic Pillars for Investment Impact
The conference programme is structured around five high-impact pillars, each designed to unlock capital and address systemic constraints to investment:
- Infrastructure as an Asset Class: Reframing infrastructure through public-private partnerships (PPPs) to transform critical projects into investable opportunities for private capital.
- Accelerating the Energy Transition: Positioning Africa as a cornerstone of global energy security by unlocking renewable energy potential through innovative financing structures.
- Deepening African Capital Markets: Enhancing domestic liquidity, strengthening regulatory transparency, and expanding institutional investor participation to mobilise private capital at scale.
- Enabling Intra-African Trade and Capital Flows: Leveraging regional integration and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to attract foreign direct investment and stimulate intra-African investment amid global uncertainty.
- Sovereign Debt and Cost Sustainability: Reframing the debt conversation from access to affordability, credibility, and structure, with a focus on reducing risk premiums and developing resilient capital markets.
High-Level Participation, Tangible Outcomes
AMC 2026 will host a high-level delegation of decision-makers, ensuring that discussions translate into concrete commitments. Confirmed participants include Finance Ministers, Central Bank Governors, and Ministers responsible for infrastructure development from key African economies, alongside global asset managers and institutional investors seeking yield and sustainable impact.
The conference will also feature leadership from within Standard Bank Group, including Sim Tshabalala, Chief Executive Officer of Standard Bank Group; Luvuyo Masinda, CEO of CIB; Sola Adegbesan, Head of Global Markets Africa Regions; and Alex Davidson, Head of Global Markets South Africa. These executives will lead technical sessions focused on market liquidity, risk management, and capital mobilisation strategies.
A Call to Action for Africa’s Financial Future
More than a conference, AMC 2026 represents a collective call to action for both public and private sector stakeholders. It is a forum where Africa’s investment roadmap will be debated with rigour, informed by market realities, and accelerated through partnerships that align capital with development outcomes.
As global investors increasingly seek diversification, resilience, and long-term value, AMC 2026 positions Africa not as a peripheral opportunity, but as a central pillar of the global growth story—one that demands scale, coordination, and decisive action.
