African financial centers came together in Busan, South Korea, for a dedicated World Alliance Africa Chapter Roundtable, focusing on the future of finance across the continent and opportunities for closer cooperation between financial centres.
The roundtable was chaired by Hortense Mudenge, CEO of the Kigali International Financial Centre, and brought together representatives of WAIFC's African member institutions for discussions on strengthening regional connectivity, sharing expertise and supporting investment and sustainable economic growth.
Participants explored how greater cooperation between African financial centers could help facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practices while strengthening links between markets and financial ecosystems across the continent.
The World Alliance's African network currently brings together representatives from:
- Casablanca Finance City (Morocco) — represented by Lamia Merzouki
- Kigali International Financial Centre (Rwanda) — represented by Hortense Mudenge
- EnterpriseNGR (Nigeria) — represented by Obi Ibekwe and Lami Adekola
- TRIFIC SEZ (Kenya) — represented by Brenda Mbathi
- NIFC Africa (Kenya) — represented by Jean Kambuni
Strengthening cooperation across Africa
The Africa Chapter was established to deepen cooperation among international financial centers across the continent and strengthen their ability to engage with international markets.
Its objectives include facilitating the exchange of best practices, supporting the competitiveness of member centers, and building stronger relationships with regulators, policymakers, financial institutions and other international financial centers.
The Busan roundtable provided an opportunity for members to exchange perspectives on the evolving role of African financial centers and identify areas where closer collaboration could support the development of stronger regional and international connections.
The meeting forms part of the World Alliance's broader AGM program in Busan, bringing together financial centers from across Africa and other regions to exchange experience and explore opportunities for greater international cooperation.