IslamicFinance.de

The African market for Islamic banking is unique for several reasons. The continent is witnessing an unprecedented economic growth in the last decade. Return on investment in Africa is higher than in any other developing region. Moreover, Islamic banking in Africa is supported by a growing openness and acceptability by many regulators and politicians. There is growing interest from sovereign states in issuing sukuk and countries such as South Africa, Senegal Ivory Coast and Togo have already tested the international market. At the same time, there is a need to be aware of the challenges facing the industry and how the associated risks can be mitigated. African regulators need to adopt the right policies and increase the level of cooperation. They should work closely with the multinational financial institutions such as the Islamic Development Bank, the African Development Bank and the World Bank.

The two-day inaugural Islamic Banking Summit Africa (IBSA), which was held at at the Djibouti Palace Kempinski, Djibouti, focused on topics concerning 'capturing the Africa opportunity in Islamic finance'. More than 200 leading figures in the international Islamic banking and finance industry took part in the discussions. The event was officially supported by the Central Bank of Djibouti. The programme of the first day included keynotes from President of the Republic of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh, and Governor of the Central Bank of Djibouti Djama M. Haid.