KEY POINTS
- 2026 Africa Trade Conference set for March.
- Event will further examine AfCFTA financing and digitisation.
- The Conference features AfDB and Afreximbank leaders.
Access Bank Plc has confirmed a roster of policymakers, development finance executives and industry leaders for the 2026 Africa Trade Conference, scheduled for March at the Cape Town International Convention Centre in South Africa.
The lender said the 2026 Africa Trade Conference, themed “Turning Vision into Velocity: Building Africa’s Trade Ecosystem for Real-World Impact,” will serve as a strategic platform to accelerate the continent’s integration into global trade flows. The conference will spotlight the African Continental Free Trade Area and also examine how policy harmonisation, infrastructure investment, digitisation and innovative financing can unlock cross-border commerce across the continent.
2026 Africa Trade Conference Keynotes
Furthermore, Kennedy Mbekeani, Director-General for the Southern Africa Region at the African Development Bank, and Kwabena Ayirebi, Managing Director of Banking Operations at the African Export-Import Bank, will deliver a joint keynote address. Access Bank said the session will examine the evolving financing landscape for African trade and pathways to continental growth.
Roosevelt Ogbonna, Access Bank’s chief executive officer and group managing director, will give the welcome address. Tolu Oyekan, Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group, will present the “Africa Trade Outlook 2026,” focusing on macroeconomic trends, supply chain shifts, and sectoral opportunities.
While Mike Ogbalu, chief executive of the Pan-African Payment and Settlement System, will address payment interoperability and digital infrastructure in advancing the AfCFTA agenda.
Policy Dialogue at Africa Trade Conference
The 2026 Africa Trade Conference will also feature a ministerial panel including Ghana’s Minister for Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, and Botswana’s Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship, Tiroeaone Ntsima, alongside executives from the International Finance Corporation, Deutsche Bank and Oddo-BHF.
Ogbonna therefore described the forum as an action-oriented platform linking policy, capital and infrastructure. “Africa is no longer at the margins of global trade conversations,” he said, while adding that the bank sees its role as connecting markets and facilitating cross-border business.
With operations in 24 countries, including 16 in Africa, Access Bank said it is positioned to support regional value chains and simplify trade flows. Organisers further says the conference will foster partnerships and shape policy dialogue around Africa’s expanding trade architecture.
