Africa Capital Markets Week 2026 Launched in Nairobi with Call for Greater Investment and Market Integration

macharia David 

Taifa new

Money market edition 

Nairobi 15 June 2026

Africa Capital Markets Week 2026 was officially launched in Nairobi, bringing together policymakers, regulators, investors, financial institutions, and capital market leaders from across the continent to explore how Africa can mobilise capital to accelerate economic transformation.

The week-longnforum will aims to strengthen regional capital market integration, deepen investment opportunities, and enhance collaboration among African financial markets to support sustainable development.

Speaking during the launch, Dr Boniface Makokha, Principal Secretary in the State Department for Economic Planning, said the gathering comes at a critical moment as African countries seek innovative ways to finance development priorities amid growing infrastructure, industrialisation, housing, and climate financing needs.

He noted that a key message emerging from the opening discussions was the need for Africa to move beyond dialogue and focus on implementation by converting policy frameworks into structured, bankable, and investable projects capable of attracting long-term capital.

Capital Markets Driving Africa’s Development Agenda

Participants at the launch emphasized the strategic role of capital markets in mobilising resources for economic growth and supporting the continent's development ambitions.

Discussions focused on strengthening investor confidence, enhancing market transparency, promoting cross-border investment, and building integrated financial systems that allow capital to flow more efficiently across African economies.

Referencing earlier presentations and panel discussions, Dr Makokha observed that Africa's challenge is not a lack of vision, policy frameworks, or ambition, but the ability to translate those ambitions into projects that attract investment and deliver tangible development outcomes.

Kenya Showcases Investment Opportunities

Using Kenya's development agenda as an example of opportunities available across the continent, Dr Makokha highlighted priority sectors requiring increased investment.

Infrastructure Development

He described infrastructure as the backbone of economic transformation, noting that investments in roads, energy, ports, housing, and agricultural systems remain central to Kenya's growth agenda. He added that infrastructure presents significant opportunities for private sector participation through innovative financing mechanisms and public-private partnerships.

Energy Transition and Green Industrialisation

Dr Makokha highlighted Kenya's global leadership in renewable energy, noting that more than 90 per cent of the country's electricity is generated from clean sources such as geothermal, wind, and solar power. He said expanding energy capacity will be critical in supporting industrialisation and enhancing long-term competitiveness.

Digital Economy Expansion

The Principal Secretary pointïed to Kenya's success in ICT, fintech, and mobile money innovation as key drivers of financial inclusion and economic productivity. Continued investment in digital infrastructure, he said, will strengthen Kenya's position as a regional technology and innovation hub.

Manufacturing, Agriculture and Housing

While agriculture remains a major contributor to Kenya's economy, Dr Makokha emphasized the importance of value addition, agro-processing, and industrial productivity. He also highlighted affordable housing as a major investment opportunity, noting that annual demand exceeds 200,000 housing units.

Mobilising Long-Term Capital

A recurring theme during the launch was the need to unlock long-term capital to finance Africa's development needs.

Dr Makokha acknowledged the fiscal pressures facing many African countries, including public debt obligations and financing constraints, saying these challenges make deeper and more efficient capital markets increasingly important.

He underscored ongoing efforts to deepen capital markets, strengthen Kenya's position as a regional financial hub, expand public-private partnerships, and mobilise institutional capital, including pension and sovereign wealth funds.

He also highlighted plans to establish a National Infrastructure Fund as part of broader efforts to channel investment into productive sectors and support long-term economic growth.

The Role of Economic Planning

Dr Makokha described the State Department for Economic Planning as the bridge between national vision and implementation.

He said the department's mandate is to ensure that development priorities are translated into measurable, fundable, and impactful projects through evidence-based planning, policy coordination, and alignment of investment flows with national priorities.

According to the Principal Secretary, capital should be viewed as a strategic resource whose transformative potential can only be realised when it is properly structured, coordinated, and deployed.

From Dialogue to Delivery

The launch of Africa Capital Markets Week 2026 set the tone for discussions expected  during the week, with participants calling for practical solutions that translate policy into projects and investment into measurable economic outcomes.

In his concluding remarks, Dr Makokha said Africa Capital Markets Week should serve as a platform for transforming policy into projects, reform into investment pipelines, vision into capital flows, and ambition into measurable economic outcomes.

He reaffirmed that Africa should be viewed not through the lens of risk, but as a continent of immense opportunity, scale, and untapped potential, urging governments, investors, regulators, and development partners to work together in unlocking the continent's economic promise.

The Africa Capital Markets Week 2026 launch also sets the stage for the Africa Capital Markets Summit scheduled for August. The summit will bring together policymakers, investors, and financial leaders to deepen capital mobilisation, advance market integration, and convert the week’s discussions into practical investment partnerships and actionable financing frameworks.