Nairobi, 15 September 2026 – More than 300 policymakers, regulators, institutional investors, development finance leaders and market practitioners from over 20 African countries are gathering in Nairobi this week for the third Sustainable Capital Markets Conference, organised by FSD Africa and partners. The conference comes at a pivotal moment as African countries seek to mobilise domestic capital to finance development priorities, with overseas funding drying up, slowing foreign investment and mounting fiscal pressures.
The shift of focus to domestic capital markets is also informed by low market activity, with fewer than half of African countries having seen a domestic firm issue a corporate bond since 2000. Whereas the continent’s domestic equity markets have grown 27-fold since 2000 to USD 561 billion, its share of global capital market activity has declined, indicating that its growth is not keeping pace internationally.
With African institutional investors now managing an estimated US$4 trillion across pension funds, insurance companies, banks and sovereign wealth funds, discussions will focus on how to channel greater volumes of domestic capital into productive sectors that support economic growth, resilience and job creation. Despite significant financing needs, only 2.7% of institutional assets are currently invested in infrastructure and other productive sectors across the continent.
The conference will bring together some of the continent’s leading voices in capital markets, sustainable finance, debt management and investment mobilisation to explore practical solutions for developing deeper, more efficient and more inclusive capital markets. Among confirmed speakers are:
- Chris Olobo, Chief Executive Officer, Dhamana Guarantee
- Jonathan Stichbury, Chief Executive Officer, SanlamAllianz Investments
- Albert Rweyemamu, Principal Political& Credit Risk Underwriter, ATIDI
- Mark Napier, Chief Executive Officer, FSD Africa
- Japhet Justine, Commissioner, Public Debt Management, Ministry of Finance
- Daniel Mainda, Chief Executive Officer, Nairobi International Financial Centre Authority
- Gerald Soko, Head of Economic Research, Zanaco
- Babatunde Obaniyi, Group CEO, Griffin Capital Financial Group
- Kofi D. Fynn, Managing Director, Petra Trust Company
- Dr Evans Osao, Chief Financial Markets Officer, FSD Africa
- Yodit Kassa, CEO, Ethiopia Stock Exchange
- Nicholas Kebaso, CEO, Lusaka Stock Exchange
Themes under discussion will include sustainable finance, domestic capital mobilisation, blended finance, sovereign debt management, catalytic transactions, institutional investment, market development and innovative financing approaches needed to close Africa’s widening development financing gap.
The conference takes place against the backdrop of growing demand for long-term investment capital across Africa. The continent’s rapidly growing population generates approximately 25 million new job seekers annually, while governments face increasing pressure to invest in infrastructure, energy, business growth and climate resilience. At the same time, many countries continue to grapple with high debt servicing costs, making the development of robust domestic capital markets increasingly important. Delegates will hear about practical strategies for accelerating capital market development, including:
- Strengthening market infrastructure, regulatory frameworks and investment products.
- Expanding sustainable finance instruments, including green, gender and thematic bonds.
- Structuring catalytic transactions that crowd in private capital.
- Supporting effective sovereign debt management and market transparency.
- Mobilising institutional capital for infrastructure and productive sectors.
The conference aims to move beyond dialogue to action with several concrete deliverables including:
- An Africa Capital Markets Roadmap setting out a shared vision, collective priorities and practical commitments for accelerating the development of deeper, more efficient and more inclusive capital markets across the continent.
- A roadmap for capital mobilisation, including agreed actions to strengthen domestic resource mobilisation through priority financing structures, public-private partnerships, regulatory reforms and innovative investment vehicles.
- New pathways for unlocking Africa’s US$4 trillion institutional capital pool, with a focus on increasing investment into infrastructure, climate resilience, energy transition projects, MSMEs and other productive sectors of the real economy.
For information and interview requests, please write to our Senior Communications Manager Kaara Wainaina at kaara@fsdafrica.org/.
