Standard Bank’s Corporate and Investment Banking (CIB) division is set to host the second edition of its flagship African Markets Conference (AMC 2026), a high-level forum aimed at unlocking large-scale investment into the continent’s priority sectors.
The conference will be held from February 22 to 24, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa, bringing together global institutional investors, sovereign wealth funds, development financiers and African policymakers in a bid to strengthen capital flows into Africa’s economies.
According to Luvuyo Masinda, Chief Executive of Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group, the event builds on the inaugural 2025 conference that sought to shift global perceptions of Africa from a high-risk market to one defined by resilience and opportunity.
“This year’s engagement bridges the gap between policy ambitions and market realities,” Masinda said. “Africa urgently needs practical measures to deepen capital pools, improve market liquidity and strengthen regulatory frameworks that give investors confidence to deploy capital at scale. Mobilising capital is not just about funding projects; it is about building the foundation of a more balanced and inclusive global economy.”
Africa’s investment gap remains significant. With the continent’s population projected to grow by one billion people by 2050 — more than half of them living in cities — infrastructure demand is rising rapidly. Yet Africa currently invests about $75 billion annually, only half of the estimated $150 billion required each year for infrastructure development.
Standard Bank says AMC 2026 will keep African priorities at the centre of global financial discussions, focusing on practical solutions to attract long-term private capital.
The conference will be structured around five key pillars. These include positioning infrastructure as an investable asset class through public-private partnerships, accelerating the energy transition by unlocking renewable resources, and deepening African capital markets to improve liquidity and investor access.
Discussions will also centre on boosting intra-African trade under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to attract foreign direct investment, and addressing sovereign debt sustainability by shifting the conversation from access to credit toward affordability, credibility and stronger market structures.
The event will host finance ministers, central bank governors and infrastructure leaders from major African economies, alongside global asset managers, development finance institutions and multilateral agencies exploring de-risking frameworks.
Senior Standard Bank executives, including Group CEO Sim Tshabalala, Masinda, Head of Global Markets Africa Regions Sola Adegbesan and Head of Global Markets South Africa Alex Davidson, are expected to lead technical sessions focused on improving market liquidity.
Standard Bank described AMC 2026 as a call to action for both governments and the private sector, positioning the forum as a platform where Africa’s growth strategy can be debated and translated into concrete investment commitments.
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