The Africa Financial Summit (AFIS) will hold its 2026 edition on November 3 and 4 in Luanda, Angola, marking the first time the leading African finance platform will take place in Southern Africa and in a Lusophone country.
The organisers announced the decision in a statement on Monday to Pinnacle Daily, saying the move reinforces the summit’s continental reach and its mission of integrating Africa’s financial systems.
Created in 2021 by Jeune Afrique Media Group and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), AFIS has grown into one of the main platforms for dialogue among Africa’s financial leaders, regulators, and public decision-makers.
The annual summit attracts more than 1,250 participants, including banks, insurers, fintech companies, regulators, investors, and pension funds.
It combines high-level strategic discussions, technical workshops, bilateral meetings, and networking sessions aimed at driving partnerships and transactions.
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The summit is guided by a Supervisory Council made up of about 30 leading figures in Africa’s financial sector, including Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, chairman of Access Holdings and Coronation Group; Jean-Claude Kassi Brou, Governor of the BCEAO; Aliou Maiga, IFC Regional Director for Financial Institutions in Africa; Solomon Quaynor, Vice-President of the African Development Bank; Thierry Hebraud, CEO of Mauritius Commercial Bank; and Charles Russon, Group Executive, Africa Regions, at Absa.
The choice of Luanda follows previous editions held in Lomé and Casablanca and signals what organisers describe as a new stage in AFIS’s continental expansion.
Angola, with an estimated gross domestic product (GDP) of $115 billion, is among Africa’s top 10 economies and is undergoing reforms aimed at modernising its banking sector, strengthening regulation, accelerating digital financial services, and supporting economic diversification.
Investments in infrastructure, the development of capital markets through the Angolan Stock Exchange (BODIVA), increased openness to international investors, and membership in the SADC free trade area are positioning the country as an emerging financial hub.
Against a global backdrop marked by tight financing conditions and efforts to implement the New African Financial Architecture, AFIS 2026 will focus on mobilising local resources, advancing continental financial integration, promoting digital transformation, and strengthening Africa’s financial institutions.
Manuel Antonio Tiago Dias, governor of the National Bank of Angola, said, “AFIS is today a leading forum for finance in Africa. Few events offer such an opportunity to bring together the entire ecosystem and work collectively. It is both a key and strategic forum, a unique space for collaboration, a place for constructive discussions on the continent’s major challenges, and an event marked by well-organised and impactful moments.”
Amir Ben Yahmed, CEO of Jeune Afrique Media Group and founder of AFIS, said, “The Africa Financial Summit is much more than an event. It has become a leading platform where regulators and financial players jointly build the future of African finance. This first edition in Southern Africa shines a spotlight on Angola, a market undergoing liberalisation with considerable potential. It offers participants the opportunity to forge decisive alliances for the regional economy.”
Ethiopis Tafara, IFC Vice-President for Africa, added, “At AFIS, we bring together African financial leaders to turn ambition into action, by mobilising private capital to create jobs, strengthen resilience, and support the continent’s growth.”
Alex is a business journalist cum data enthusiast with the Pinnacle Daily. He can be reached via ealex@thepinnacleng.com, @ehime_alex on X