Africa: Standard Bank leads push to unlock global capital for Africa

Standard Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking division is stepping up efforts to channel global capital into Africa’s priority sectors through the second edition of its flagship African Markets Conference (AMC).

The bank announced on Tuesday that AMC 2026 will hold later this month in Cape Town, South Africa. The conference will convene global institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, and African policymakers, creating a high-level platform to accelerate capital flows into sectors critical to the continent’s growth.

Speaking ahead of the event, Luvuyo Masinda, Chief Executive of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group, said the 2026 edition builds on the momentum of the inaugural conference held in 2025, which successfully reframed Africa’s investment story from one centred on risk to one anchored in resilience and opportunity.

According to Masinda, this year’s conference is focused on closing the gap between policy intent and market execution.

“Africa needs practical solutions to deepen capital markets, improve liquidity, and strengthen regulatory frameworks that give investors the confidence to deploy capital at scale,” he said. “Mobilising capital goes beyond financing individual projects. It is about laying the groundwork for a more balanced, inclusive global economy.”

Through the African Markets Conference, Standard Bank aims to position Africa more clearly on the radar of global investors while fostering dialogue that translates ambition into investable outcomes across the continent.