BY: TANA MALINGA
Standard Bank Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) will host the second edition of its flagship African Markets Conference (AMC 2026) from 22 to 24 February 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa.
The conference will bring together global institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, African policymakers, and financial leaders with one clear goal: to accelerate the flow of capital into Africa’s most critical sectors.
AMC 2026 builds on the success of the inaugural 2025 conference, which helped shift the global view of Africa from risk to resilience. According to Luvuyo Masinda, Chief Executive of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group, this year’s conference focuses on turning policy goals into real market action.
He says Africa urgently needs practical steps to grow capital pools, improve market liquidity, and strengthen regulatory frameworks that give investors confidence. “Mobilising capital is not just about funding projects. It is about building the foundation of a more balanced and inclusive global economy,” Masinda explains.
Africa’s investment challenge is urgent. By 2050, the continent is expected to add one billion people, with more than half living in cities. Yet Africa currently invests only $75 billion of the $150 billion it needs each year for infrastructure. AMC 2026 aims to keep African priorities firmly at the centre of global financial discussions.
The conference is structured around five high-impact pillars:
Infrastructure as an Asset Class, promoting public-private partnerships that turn projects into investable opportunities.
Accelerating the Energy Transition, unlocking Africa’s renewable energy potential.
Deepening African Capital Markets, improving liquidity, transparency, and access for institutional investors.
Enabling Intra-African Trade and Capital Flows, leveraging the AfCFTA to attract foreign direct investment.
Africa’s Sovereign Debt and Cost Sustainability, focusing on affordability, credibility, and stronger capital market structures.
AMC 2026 will host senior decision-makers, including Finance Ministers, Infrastructure Ministers, Central Bank Governors, global asset managers, institutional investors, DFIs, and multilateral agencies.
Standard Bank executives, including Sim Tshabalala (CEO, Standard Bank Group), Luvuyo Masinda, Sola Adegbesan, and Alex Davidson, will lead key technical sessions on market liquidity.
The African Markets Conference 2026 is a strong call to action, providing a platform where Africa’s growth roadmap will be shaped, debated, and accelerated through real commitments from both public and private sectors.
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