Standard Bank Group this week opened its 2026 Africa Markets Summit, bringing together policymakers, investors and corporate leaders at a time of heightened global volatility and shifting capital flows.
The annual gathering comes as uncertainty over US trade policy and geopolitical tensions cloud the global economic outlook, prompting investors to reassess exposure to emerging and frontier markets, including across Africa.
Against that backdrop, Africa’s largest bank by assets said the summit would focus on navigating risk, identifying growth opportunities and strengthening capital allocation strategies across the continent’s 54 economies.
“With global markets adjusting to policy shifts and tighter liquidity, Africa remains a region of structural opportunity,” said Sola Adegbesan, Head of Global Markets Sales at Standard Bank Group, speaking to CNBC Africa on the sidelines of the event.
He said discussions this year would centre on how reforms underway in several African economies could reshape investment narratives and unlock fresh inflows.
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A number of countries across sub-Saharan Africa have embarked on fiscal consolidation, currency reforms and efforts to strengthen domestic revenue mobilisation after years of rising debt and external shocks, including the COVID-19 pandemic and global commodity price swings.
Investors are also closely monitoring the trajectory of US monetary and trade policy, which can significantly influence capital flows into higher-yielding emerging markets. Tighter global financial conditions in recent years have constrained access to international bond markets for several African sovereigns, pushing governments to seek alternative funding sources.
Standard Bank, which operates in 21 African markets and maintains a presence in key global financial centres, positions itself as an intermediary between international capital and African opportunities. Its markets business spans foreign exchange, fixed income, commodities and structured solutions.
Adegbesan said the summit aims to provide clients with clarity on macroeconomic trends, risk management tools and sector-specific opportunities, particularly in energy, infrastructure and commodities.
Africa’s commodity-exporting economies are navigating a mixed outlook, with energy and metals prices influenced by geopolitical developments and demand dynamics in major economies such as China and the United States.
At the same time, several reform-oriented governments are seeking to attract private capital into renewable energy, digital infrastructure and industrialisation projects, areas that require long-term financing and sophisticated risk mitigation structures.
Market participants say events such as the Africa Markets Summit have taken on added significance as investors differentiate more carefully between countries based on policy credibility, reform momentum and external vulnerabilities.
“Investors are no longer looking at Africa as a single asset class,” one delegate said. “They are assessing country-specific fundamentals, reform progress and currency stability.”
Standard Bank said it expects robust engagement from global asset managers, development finance institutions and corporate treasurers attending this year’s summit.
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As global capital becomes more selective, the bank said its role is to facilitate informed dialogue and structure solutions that align investor appetite with Africa’s financing needs.
The 2026 summit comes at a pivotal moment for the continent, as governments balance fiscal discipline with growth ambitions and investors weigh risks against long-term demographic and resource-driven potential.
