Africa regional conference to spotlight future financing solutions

Over 500 financial representatives from more than 45 countries will next month come together for three days to tackle various issues affecting African businesses when secure financial messaging service Swift hosts its African Regional Conference (Arc) in Abidjan in the Ivory Coast on 16-18 May.

The conference will take on the theme of “Financing for the future” and will also look at how African countries can diversify their economies to promote more sustainable growth.

“Holding the Swift African Regional Conference in Côte D’Ivoire (the Ivory Coast) illustrates the strength and stability of the country’s economic and business environments and the dynamic role it is playing in Africa’s development,” said the first VP of the Ivory Coast’s Banking Association, Guy Koizan in a press release to Ventureburn.

The African Regional Conference (Arc) will tackle issues pertaining to startups within the African economy

The list of speakers to participate at Arc 2017 are:

• SA Banking Risk and Information Centre CEO Kalyani Pillay
• Central Depository and Settlement Corporation of Kenya CEO Rose Mambo
• BankServ Africa CEO Chris Hamilton
• Intelipro CEO Leonida Mutuku
• United Bank for Africa chief information security officer Sam Okenye
• Head of the Foundery, Rand Merchant Bank’s blockchain initiative, Farzam Ehsani
• First National Bank chief economist Sizwe Nxedlana
• FinTech Associates of Nigeria chairman Segun Aina
• Barclays Africa head of CIB digital James Scott
• Heritage Bank chief compliance officer Wumi Adeniyi
• Attijariwafa Bank deputy director general of global transaction banking Mouawia Essekelli
• Societe Generale executive Olivier Miet
• Strate research and strategy Astrid Ludin
• Esoko director m-commerce Lebogang Mokgabudi
• MTN Nigeria treasurer Ishmael Nwokocha
• CiTi East Africa sales head Mary Sabwa

Swift head of the Middle East, Turkey and Africa Sido Bestani said while global economic conditions have put pressure on many African economies, others have seen solid growth supported by public infrastructure investment, private consumption and a growing services sector.

“Arc 2017 provides a unique platform for the African financial community to come together, discuss the shared challenges faced by the continent and look at how they can make the most of the opportunities,” said Bestani.

Key sessions of the conference will among others include: “The key spectre of cyber threats”, “Mitigating the impact of de-risking” as well as “fintech hubs and their role in the economy”.