Speaking at the Bloomberg Africa Business Summit 2025 in Johannesburg, AfCFTA Secretary-General Wamkele Mene said the cost of debt in Africa is up to 20 times higher than in Western Europe, driven largely by mispriced risk rather than economic reality. Mene argued that inflated risk premiums are ultimately paid by African citizens, limiting investment in infrastructure, SMEs, industrialisation, and climate resilience. He stressed that the solution lies in mobilising Africa’s own domestic capital

The perception of risk in doing business in Africa is overblown and exaggerated - Ayaan Zeinab Adam, Senior Director and CEO Africa Finance Corporation --- This video is credited to Bloomberg New Economy | Business Insider Africa

At the Bloomberg Africa Business Summit 2025 in Johannesburg, Rand Merchant Bank CEO Emrie Brown said Africa is at a turning point, with global investors increasingly backing the continent’s long-term potential, and South Africa at the center of it. Brown noted rising international interest, including global banks expanding their footprint, as proof that “everyone is buying into the opportunity that Africa presents.” Turning to South Africa, she pointed to policy reforms, stronger public-private