We believe that the financial sector plays a crucial role in tackling real sector challenges such as poverty, climate change and biodiversity loss. Financial Service Providers in Africa’s are slowly recognising the need for integrating social and environmental aspects into their business models. This is challenged by some factors:

• Weak policy and regulatory environment, especially for green finance, the digital economy and the insurance market, compound already existing challenges in attracting long term finance.
• Underdeveloped financial sector due to the small size of the domestic economies, and business environment, quality of institutions and financial infrastructures. Additionally, the insurance industry doesn’t serve the needs of the majority of Africa’s population.
• A lack of technical and operational competence in the public, commercial, and civil society sectors on crucial issues including green finance, risk management, and prevention. This has hampered innovation in financial products and services.