Africa offers tremendous investment opportunities

Chief Executive, Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank David Munro (left) and Head of Investment Banking at Standard Bank Bill Blackie (right).

“Africa offers tremendous opportunities for investment,” this was the theme of the 6th annual Africa Investors’ Conference (AIC), hosted by Standard Bank and ICBC Standard Bank in London recently.
South African Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan re-enforced this theme in his engagement with investors attending the AIC, when he said: “Africa still offers opportunities for investment.” He said that there were many remarkable success stories of South African companies that had expanded into Africa.
David Munro, Chief Executive, Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank explained that Africa remains a critical contributor to global growth and commercial opportunities. “Over the last two decades, Africa has remained resilient through a number of global crises and its reliance on Western economic relations has shifted to be more inclusive trade and investment regimes, thereby elevating the continent’s long-term prospects and lowering its dependency on a single region. Indeed, Africa markets may now present an even more compelling alternative investment propositions than in the past.”
Bill Blackie, Head of Investment Banking at Standard Bank, said that the AIC was a critical part of Standard Bank’s promise to help Africa realise its potential. “This is a truly Africa-focused event and the benefit is that it connects capital to the international investment community.”
Sim Tshabalala, Chief Executive at Standard Bank said “The bank remains absolutely committed to serving our UK, European and Chinese clients, and indeed all our clients, all over the world, whatever the immediate turbulence and whatever the post-Brexit arrangements turn out to be.” Matthew Pearson, Head of Africa Equity Sales at ICBC Standard Bank said feedback from investors that had attended the AIC had been fantastic. “One investor in particular said that three days of intense meetings at the AIC is literally equivalent to him having to spend three weeks travelling across the continent.”