Johannesburg is to host the annual African Securities Exchange Association (ASEA) conference in November, said the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE).
The conference is expected to bolster sustainable development within African markets, foster greater understanding of Africa’s growth potential and drive home the message that the continent’s capital markets are stable, the JSE said.
The theme is “Africa Evermore: Growth for sustainability” and the conference will take place at the Maslow Hotel in Sandton, Johannesburg from November 15 to 17.
The conference, said ASEA President Oscar Onyema, “will be another step in establishing the sustainable development of African capital markets, finding ways to facilitate and increase market access at the regional level, and promoting greater interconnection among African exchanges”.
The conference would speak to how, over the last decade, Africa has showed steady growth, largely withstood the impact of global shocks and become an investment destination of choice, he said.
As Africa transforms economically, it has become clear that the continent’s capital markets have been “the key drivers” of this transformation, with a clear role in the continent’s growth story.
Onyema added that ASEA “aims at developing member exchanges while enhancing their global competitiveness”.
The association, said Zeona Jacobs, JSE Director of Marketing and Corporate Affairs and ASEA Executive Committee Member, has successfully attracted capital inflows to key markets within the continent.
Major players within Africa’s capital markets are expected to attend the conference. Included among these delegates are leaders of listed companies, traders, regulators, government representatives and institutional investors from Africa, Europe and Asia.
Jacob said in hosting the event, the JSE would “further position Africa as a serious global contender in the financial services and securities exchange sector”.
Delegates would focus on themes that are relevant to Africa and this should provide an ideal opportunity to network and exchange information with industry leaders from across the continent, she added.
Onyema pointed out that with the continent’s expected gross domestic product growth to be above 5% in 2015, and with the largest youth demographic globally, “Africa is well positioned to compete effectively with economies like China and India over the next 20 years”.