African Economy: Can We Miss the Investment Opportunity of the Next Decade?
Webinar
Background: Africa’s economy is entering a decisive decade. With the world’s fastest-growing population, rapid urbanization, accelerating digital adoption, and vast untapped natural and human capital, the continent is increasingly central to global growth dynamics. Yet Africa remains underrepresented in international investment portfolios, often due to outdated perceptions and limited understanding of on-the-ground realities.
This webinar explores whether investors can afford to overlook what may be one of the most significant investment opportunities of the next decade. We will examine key macroeconomic trends, sector-specific opportunities—from infrastructure and energy to technology and agribusiness—and the evolving role of local capital markets. The discussion will also address risks, structural challenges, and the importance of long-term, impact-oriented investment strategies.
By combining data, case studies, and expert insights, the session aims to provide a nuanced, realistic view of Africa’s economic trajectory and help investors assess where value may emerge in the years ahead.
Chairman:
Ondiro Oganga is an international correspondent, moderator, and podcast host covering African and global economic affairs. Reporting for Bloomberg News, she covers macroeconomics, markets, geopolitics, and policy across sub-Saharan Africa. She has interviewed heads of state, central bank governors, and Fortune 500 CEOs. She is also the host of Corporate Cocktail Africa, Africa’s leading business news podcasts, where she convenes C-suite executives, policymakers, and global decision-makers for in-depth, agenda-setting conversations. Known for clarity, command, and on-the-ground intelligence, Ondiro is a trusted moderator for senior-level public and private forums, and has moderated high-profile platforms including MWC, AFIS, TED & AFS.
Speakers:
Gbite Oduneye is Managing Partner at ODBA, an early stage venture capital firm backing technology companies across Africa. He is also Chair of the Africa Tech 50 (AT50) Index and Chairman of Indexa Exchange Group, an index company building benchmark products for Africa’s innovation economy across technology and SMEs, including the Africa Tech Index suite (AT50 and AT100) and the AE2000 SME Index. His work sits at the intersection of venture investing, market infrastructure, and capital markets readiness, focused on helping high growth African companies become investable, visible, and listing ready. Gbite is based between London and Lagos.
Tighisti Amare is Deputy Director of the Africa Programme at Chatham House. With over fifteen years of progressive roles and leadership experience at the Institute, she has helped shape the Programme’s strategy and oversee its high-impact research and convening on political economy, governance, regional security, and African foreign policy. She has built and sustained influential networks across the continent and internationally and serves on the advisory board of Acre Impact Capital and is a member of the Ubuntu Circle of the ONE Campaign.
Anushka Bogdanov is a globally respected expert in ESG, sustainable finance, and risk governance, with more than three decades of experience as a senior banking executive, board leader, and impact-driven entrepreneur. She brings an exceptional combination of institutional experience, academic contribution, and human-centred leadership that spans over 80 countries, working across public, private, and multilateral sectors.
She began her career in banking and risk, holding senior executive roles in investment, retail banking and development finance institutions, including a key leadership position in enterprise risk at a leading African development bank. She was also a regional executive at Fitch Ratings, where she gained deep insight into sovereign and institutional credit, global risk standards, and the nexus between ratings and capital access. These roles provided the foundation for her exceptional understanding of financial system integrity and global capital market dynamics.
Speaker(s):
-
Tighisti Amare
Africa Programme Director
Chatam House
-
Anushka Bogdanov
Founder
ESG Matters
-
Gbite Oduneye
Managing Partner
ODBA
-
African Securities Exchanges Association representative
TBC
Chairman:
-
Ondiro Oganga
Africa Correspondent
Bloomberg TV