Access Bank Plc said it will convene senior government officials, financiers and business leaders from around the world in Cape Town next year as it seeks to position Africa more firmly in global trade flows.
The lender announced plans to host the second Africa Trade Conference on March 11, 2026, at the Cape Town International Convention Centre. The event is designed to move beyond broad policy discussion and focus on practical measures to expand trade within Africa and between the continent and global markets.
The conference follows a first edition that brought together senior decision makers from 28 countries. Organisers say the 2026 meeting will place greater emphasis on execution, reflecting growing pressure on African governments and businesses to translate trade ambitions into measurable outcomes.
The theme of the conference, “Turning Vision into Velocity: Building Africa’s Trade Ecosystem for Real-World Impact,” signals that shift. Sessions will include ministerial panels, high-level plenaries, partner-led workshops and industry exhibitions, alongside structured networking and awards showcasing trade and cultural initiatives.
Access Bank’s group managing director and chief executive, Roosevelt Ogbonna, said the conference was conceived as a working platform rather than a ceremonial gathering.
“Africa is no longer at the margins of global trade conversations,” Mr Ogbonna said. “The question today is not about potential. It is about execution.”
He said the forum would bring together policymakers, capital providers, logistics operators and technology firms to address the systems and infrastructure needed to support Africa’s trade ambitions. “This is about building what will define Africa’s trade future,” he said.
With operations in 24 countries worldwide, including 16 across Africa, Access Bank has positioned itself as a facilitator of cross-border commerce. The bank argues that its regional footprint gives it both insight into the barriers facing African traders and the scale to support solutions across multiple markets.
“Our presence across Africa and key global corridors gives us a front-row seat to the realities of trade,” Mr Ogbonna said, adding that the bank sees its role as connecting markets, ideas and capital, not just providing financing.
The conference agenda will place the African Continental Free Trade Area at the centre of discussions, examining how regulatory alignment, infrastructure investment and digital platforms can help unlock its promise. Although AfCFTA is one of the world’s largest free trade zones by number of countries, intra-African trade remains low compared with other regions, constrained by logistics bottlenecks, fragmented regulations and limited access to finance.
Organisers said discussions would also cover the role of technology in global commerce, sustainable trade practices, market access challenges and new financing models for small and medium-sized enterprises and manufacturers.
ATC 2026 is expected to attract policymakers, development finance institutions, multinational companies, global investors and African business leaders, creating what Access Bank describes as a curated environment focused on deal making and policy alignment.
For Mr Ogbonna, the broader objective is strategic. “Africa will not be a spectator in the remaking of global trade,” he said. “We will be one of its architects.”
By hosting the conference in Cape Town, Access Bank is betting that Africa’s next phase of trade growth will be shaped as much by coordination and execution as by ambition, and that the private sector will play a central role alongside governments in delivering it.