Ahead of the Africa CEO Forum co-hosted by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Jeaune Afrique Media Groupe, to be held on May 14 and 15 in Kigali, Rwanda, the IFC has emphasised the importance of mobilising private capital in Africa and deploying it at scale to create jobs and unlock sustainable growth.

With this in mind, the IFC argued that, while capital exists at scale globally, it does not reach African economies in sufficient volumes or translate reliably into jobs.

Mobilising private capital, therefore, only works when firms are investable and workers have market-relevant skills.

Hence, the IFC, in a media note, explained that it mobilises capital by structuring transactions that reduce risk for investors and pairing them with upstream reforms that strengthen regulatory quality and institutional capacity.

The objective is to build sustainable pipelines that support growth and employment over time, rather than one‑off deals.

During a media event on April 28, IFC principal country officer for South Africa Amina El Zayat reiterated this point.

“Over and over again, we're seeing that this constraint is not money, the constraint is a pathway – pathways that connect long-term capital to bankable projects; pathways that reduce risk, improve project preparation and allow capital to flow in local currency; pathways that will link finance to real economic activities, food systems, infrastructure, services and growing firms,” she said.

El Zayat also highlighted that many firms, especially small and medium-sized firms, struggle to access long-term financing that allows them to grow, invest and hire more people.

“Closing that gap is not just about one transaction, it's really about building a functioning ecosystem that is sustainable – and that is the length that we're bringing to the Africa CEO forum this year.

“The forum is not designed to produce declarations, it is designed to convene decision makers and CEOs around execution, how to mobilise capital, scale investment vehicles and move faster from intent to impact,” she said.

“The question is no longer on whether capital exists. The real question is whether capital is moving into sectors that create jobs and jobs at scale,” added IFC regional director for Southern Africa Claudia Conceicão.

She highlighted the challenge of private capital not consistently translating into job improvements in African economies, noting that jobs materialise when policy, finance, skills and markets work together.

“Investment alone is not enough. Jobs will materialise when skills also keep pace with the capital”.

Hence, Conceicão emphasised the importance of preparing African youth for the jobs of the future, highlighting that the IFC aims to support investments prioritising skills creation to prepare African youth for these jobs by aligning the curriculum with labour market demand.

“This is not just a social issue – this is, more than [anything], an economic necessity, because in our perspective, skills are infrastructure, and we really need to build on that soft infrastructure with the support of the policy side and with the support of investors,” she said.

This topic, and more, will be unpacked at this year’s forum.

Under this year’s theme, titled ‘Scale or fail: why Africa must embrace shared ownership,’ the Africa CEO Forum 2026 will convene more than 2 500 business leaders, investors and policymakers, including over 1 200 CEOs and senior executives.