Mauritius | 11 February 2026

Africa’s institutional capital has reached a significant scale. The defining question is no longer availability — it is deployment.

This was the resounding message on Day One of the Pension Funds and Alternative Investments Africa Summit (PI Africa 2026), where pension funds, sovereign wealth funds, regulators, development finance institutions and private capital leaders convened in Mauritius to examine how long-term capital can be mobilised more effectively to drive sustainable growth across the continent.

Now in its 9th edition, PI Africa continues to serve as a leading platform for institutional investors shaping Africa’s long-term investment future.

Institutional Capital as a Nation-Building Force

Opening the summit, Dr. the Hon. Avinash Ramtohul, Minister of Information Technology, Communication and Innovation of Mauritius, underscored the evolving role of private investment.

“Private sector investment is no longer viewed solely as a profit-seeking endeavour, but as a genuine nation-building force,” he stated. 

He emphasised that mobilising long-term capital for development is a shared responsibility, noting that financial sector resilience rests on modern legal frameworks, strong digital infrastructure and skilled human capital.

Mahad Ahmed, CEO of AME Trade Ltd, reflected on the responsibility accompanying Africa’s growing asset base. “Africa’s institutional capital base is growing steadily to almost two trillion dollars. This is both an opportunity and a responsibility,” he said. “The central challenge is balancing fiduciary duty with developmental economics in a world of structural uncertainty.” 

He noted that African pension funds are increasingly acting as strategic allocators of long-term capital rather than passive holders of government securities.

Mobilising Domestic and Inter-African Capital

A key session examined how pension funds and development institutions can mobilise domestic and inter-African capital more effectively.

Bilal Adam CA (SA), Chief Executive Officer of Stewards Investment Capital, emphasised that the expectations placed on institutional capital are evolving. “Investment returns are required, but they are insufficient today,” he noted, pointing to the growing need for capital to support broader economic resilience and development.

Leslie Ndawana, Chief Executive Officer and Principal Executive Officer of the National Fund for Municipal Workers (NFMW), South Africa, stressed the importance of reallocating capital within the continent. “We need to move that 30% back into the African space and deploy domestic and inter-African capital,” he said.

Nasiru Braimah, Capital Mobilization & Partnerships at Africa Finance Corporation (AFC), reinforced the scale of the opportunity. “We have over four trillion dollars of capital on the continent — the question is how we collaborate to deploy it.”

The message was clear: Africa has capital at scale. The imperative now is collaboration, coordination and disciplined deployment.

Structuring Capital for Impact

Selim Basak, Co-Founder & Head of Origination at Gemcorp Capital, highlighted the catalytic role of domestic institutional capital. “Africa’s solution to its capital challenge actually lies within Africa,” he stated. “Domestic capital deployed successfully can act as a catalyst to crowd in global investors.”

Wola Asase, Deputy Director & Head of Syndications at AFC, emphasised that structuring remains central to unlocking long-term allocations. “The question is not whether Africa has capital, but how effectively we can mobilise and structure it,” she said, noting that infrastructure and alternative assets align naturally with long-term pension liabilities.

Governance, Confidence and Regulatory Alignment

Governance and regulatory certainty emerged as foundational enablers of capital movement into alternative assets.

Namakau M. Ntini, Registrar & CEO of the Pensions and Insurance Authority (Zambia), stated: “The constraint is not capital. It is confidence — confidence in governance, in data, and in regulatory flexibility.”

She stressed that pension capital, by its nature long-term, requires policy consistency and regulatory clarity.

Nazlie Seegers, Chief Experience Officer at Salt Employee Benefits (South Africa), emphasised trustee education and member outcomes. “Trustees will avoid what they do not understand. Education is not optional. It is foundational,” she said. “In a volatile world, preserving capital is not enough; we must preserve outcomes.”

Sustainable Investing: Discipline, Authenticity and Financial Viability

Sustainable investing moved from principle to practice during ESG-focused discussions, reinforcing that integration must be structured, measurable and aligned with fiduciary responsibility.

Samira Mensah, Managing Director, Research & Analytics Africa at S&P Global, observed: “Sustainable investing is evolving — the question is not whether ESG remains relevant, but how it is integrated in a more disciplined and outcome-focused way.”

Margaret Wanjiru Kirima, Board Member of the Batseta Council of Retirement Funds for South Africa, emphasised context-driven frameworks. “Sustainability must be rooted in African realities — not imported wholesale from other jurisdictions.”

Umulinga Karangwa, CFA, Chief Investment Officer at ESATAL, highlighted the importance of embedding sustainability within core strategy rather than treating it as a reporting exercise.  “Authenticity in ESG matters more than compliance — sustainability must be embedded in strategy, not appended to reports.”

A Defining Moment

Day One of PI Africa 2026 demonstrated that Africa’s institutional investors are entering a more mature and execution-focused phase. With capital at scale, attention has shifted to governance strength, regulatory alignment, collaboration and disciplined structuring.

As the summit continues, discussions remain centred on how Africa’s long-term savings can be translated into sustainable economic growth — strengthening domestic markets while positioning the continent as a confident global investment partner.

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Event Details
Event: Pension Funds and Alternative Investments Africa (PI Africa 2026)
Theme: Empowering Africa’s Institutional Capital for Growth and Development
Dates: 11–12 February 2026
Location: Hilton Mauritius Spa & Resort, Mauritius

Website: www.pensionfundsafrica.com
Email: piafrica@ametrade.org 

Media Contact:

Salaam Hidaytalla: partnerships@ametrade.org 

Barbora Kuckova: barbora@ametrade.org