SWIFT will hold the 26th edition of the African Regional Conference (ARC) on 18-20 June 2019 in Accra, Ghana. The President of the Republic of Ghana, His Excellency Nana Akufo-Addo, will open the event.
ARC is an annual event which brings together more than 500 senior financial professionals from across the continent to discuss the most important issues facing Africa’s financial industry today. The three-day programme is a mix of targeted keynote speeches, interactive panel sessions and practical workshops featuring senior speakers and strategic thinkers from across the industry and region.
The theme of this year’s African Regional Conference is ‘Enabling the digital economy’.
Driving change – Africa’s evolving financial landscape
The international payments landscape is undergoing significant change as disruptive technologies enter the payments market and put pressure on traditional banking practices. Regulatory scrutiny around KYC and AML and changes in consumer and client behaviour are also forcing the industry to review traditional banking models. Day one at ARC will look at what’s driving change in Africa’s financial industry.
Delivering change – equipping the financial industry with tools for the future
Stimulated by technological growth and new entrants, the world of international payments is experiencing considerable pressure for change. The banking sector is facing these challenges head-on, developing a new, more innovative and dynamic payments landscape. Day two will look at the tools that the financial industry is developing to deliver change to customers.
Managing change – mitigating risk in the digital world
Managing risk in financial institutions has never been more complex. As cyber-attacks continue to evolve and increase in frequency and sophistication, cyber security has become a major area of attention and investment. Complying with the large number of global regulations that aim to combat money laundering and terrorist financing is also a challenge for the industry, both in terms of costs and resources. Our final day at ARC will look at how financial instructions are managing risk in an increasingly digitised world.
Strengthening China-Africa trade relations – what’s next?
Additionally, ARC will feature a pre-event workshop with a focus on how to strengthen China-Africa trade relations. As Chinese and African economic and trade relations intensify, Chinese and African financial institutions are cooperating increasingly closely. The workshop will look at the trends, opportunities and challenges within Africa’s financial sector and the increasing significance of the RMB in China-Africa trade, and will ask what can be done to facilitate cooperation between African and Chinese institutions.
ARC is Africa’s premier financial services event. The event attracts senior representatives from financial institutions, market infrastructures, international corporations and technology partners looking to take a leading role in shaping the future of Africa’s financial services. The event also includes dedicated networking cocktails and a gala dinner for delegates to meet and learn from their peers from across the continent.
For more information and to register for the event, please visit www.SWIFT.com/ARC2019.
