Standard Bank Hosts 2nd African Markets Conference In Cape Town: Mobilising Global Capital At Scale For Africa’s Growth And Development

Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking will host the second edition of its seminal African Markets Conference (AMC 2026).

The flagship event will take place on 22-24 February 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, bringing together global institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and African policymakers to catalyse the flow of capital into the continent’s most critical sectors.

Luvuyo Masinda, Chief Executive of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group, says AMC 2026 builds on the success of the inaugural 2025 conference, which reframed Africa’s narrative from risk to resilience.

“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. Mobilising capital is not just about funding projects; it is about building the foundation of a more balanced and inclusive global economy,” says Masinda.

It is estimated that by 2050, Africa will add one billion people, more than half in cities, yet it invests only $75 billion of the $150 billion it needs annually for infrastructure. Standard Bank aims to use AMC 2026 to ensure that African priorities remain at the centre of the global financial discourse.

The conference will be structured around five high-impact pillars designed to move the needle on investment:

• Prioritising infrastructure as an Asset Class: Moving beyond aid toward public-private partnerships (PPPs) that turn critical projects into investable assets for the private sector.
• Accelerating the Energy Transition: Positioning Africa as a cornerstone of global energy security by unlocking its renewable potential through innovative solutions.
• Deepening African Capital Markets and mobilising private capital: Enhancing domestic liquidity, improving regulatory transparency, and expanding access for institutional investors.
• Enabling intra-African trade and flows of capital: Highlighting the importance of deeper regional integration for Africa to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the current uncertain global investment climate. Leveraging the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) for a larger, more predictable market that encourages intra-African investment.
• Africa’s Sovereign Debt and Cost Sustainability: Addressing the debt requirement in closing Africa’s developmental needs. The discussion is reframed from access to affordability, credibility and structure, with related perceived risk premium and the development of capital markets.

AMC 2026 will host a high-level delegation of decision-makers, ensuring that the dialogue leads to tangible commitments. Confirmed participants include:

• Finance Ministers, Ministers in Infrastructure development and Central Bank Governors from key African growth hubs.
• Global Asset Managers and Institutional Investors seeking yield and sustainable impact.
• Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) and multilateral agencies focused on de-risking frameworks.

Standard Bank executives, including Sim Tshabalala, CEO of Standard Bank Group, Luvuyo Masinda (CEO, CIB), Sola Adegbesan (Head of Global Markets Africa Regions) and Alex Davidson (Head of Global Markets SA), will lead technical sessions on market liquidity.

The 2026 African Markets Conference represents a collective call to action for the public and private sectors. It is a platform where the roadmap for Africa’s growth will be charted, debated, and ultimately, accelerated.