“Bridging Continents: Unlocking Asia – Africa Opportunities,” a white paper of the African Roundtable of Financial Centers
The Africa Roundtable of Financial Centers (ARFC), in collaboration with the World Alliance of International Financial Centers (WAIFC), highlighted the accelerating economic integration between Africa and Asia. Over the past two decades, financial hubs—led by Hong Kong and Africa’s leading financial centers—have emerged as the primary gateways for capital, innovation, and sustainable growth between the two continents.
In support of the Asian Financial Forum (AFF) taking place in Hong Kong, the ARFC has formally launched a landmark white paper titled “Bridging Continents: Unlocking Asia – Africa Opportunities,” commissioned by Hong Kong’s Financial Services Development Council (FSDC) and with contributions from Casablanca Finance City, EnterpriseNGR, Kigali International Financial Centre, NIFC Africa, and TRIFIC SEZ.
“From the vibrant hub of Hong Kong, we have a privileged vantage point on the shifting tides of global finance and trade. For decades, our city has served as the gateway to China and a critical nexus for Asia’s economic miracle. Today, we witness the dawn of another transformative epoch: the rapid acceleration of Asia-Africa economic integration. This is not a transient trend, but the foundation of a long-term partnership that will redefine global growth in the 21st century.”
Dr. King Au,
Executive Director, FSDC
“The ARFC is a collaborative initiative that aims to strengthen and promote African financial hubs. Key objectives include increasing trade and investment flows, positioning African centers as global gateways, fostering innovation in fintech and digital finance, and enhancing regional cooperation among its members. The Roundtable seeks to build a unified voice for African financial centers on the international stage. Our call to the world, and particularly to partners in Asia, is clear: look beyond the headlines and see the structural shift underway. Engage with us not as a distant market, but as a co-creator of value. The barriers are real, but they are surmountable through collaboration. By aligning Asia’s formidable capital and technological prowess with Africa’s ground-level expertise and growth ambitions, we can build the bridges that will define the next chapter of global prosperity. This is not just an African opportunity; it is a shared one.”
Obi Ibekwe,
Chair, ARFC
“Africa is entering a transformative era in which ambition, ingenuity, and strategic vision are redefining its place on the global stage. Landmark initiatives such as the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which aims to unify 1.2 billion consumers into a single landscape of opportunity, exemplify this shift. At WAIFC, our mission is to ensure that this promise is backed by a robust financial infrastructure. By aligning standards and facilitating seamless capital flows between African markets and strategic Asian hubs such as Hong Kong, we are turning Africa’s immense potential into tangible, global impact for generations to come.”
Lamia Merzouki,
Chair, WAIFC
The white paper provides a comprehensive and forward-looking analysis of the rapidly expanding trade, investment, and financial linkages between Asia and Africa. It highlights the scale of untapped opportunities across priority sectors, including financial services, infrastructure, manufacturing, technology, energy, agribusiness, and professional services. It also examines the evolving role of financial centres as critical gateways for capital mobilisation, risk intermediation, and cross-border partnerships between both continents.
The white paper was presented to the Hong Kong press and discussed in an investor roundtable thereafter.
The launch underscores the growing strategic importance of Asia-Africa collaboration within the global financial system. It reflects a shared ambition to move from dialogue to delivery, strengthening connectivity between both continents and laying the foundation for sustained trade growth, investment expansion, and mutually beneficial economic development in the years ahead.
The Future: Fintech and Digital Innovation
While infrastructure and natural resources remain pillars of the partnership, the future of Africa-Asia relations is shifting toward digital finance. The rapid adoption of mobile money and digital banking across Africa, paired with Asia’s booming fintech ecosystems, is creating new pathways for collaboration that transcend traditional industry boundaries.
Outlook for Growth
The Asia-Africa financial relationship is entering a period of maturity. Driven by Africa’s increasing attractiveness as a tech-growth continent and Hong Kong’s status as a globally integrated hub, the outlook is one of long-term opportunity and deepening cross-sectoral engagement.
The paper can be downloaded here.
About the Africa Roundtable of Financial Centers:
The Africa Roundtable of Financial Centres is a regional body under the World Alliance of International Financial Centers that unites key African financial hubs to boost trade, investment, and sustainable development across the continent. It fosters collaboration on shared priorities, including FinTech innovation, attracting global capital, regulatory modernization, and strengthening Africa’s role in the international financial landscape, with members sharing expertise and driving a unified vision for African financial ecosystems.
The Africa Roundtable includes the following members: the Economic Development Board of Mauritius (EDB), Casablanca Finance City Authority (CFCA), EnterpriseNGR of Nigeria, and Rwanda Finance Limited (RFL).
About the World Alliance of International Financial Centers:
The World Alliance of International Financial Centers is a non-profit association registered in Belgium that represents leading international financial centers globally. World Alliance members are government agencies, associations, and similar institutions that develop and promote their financial centers. The World Alliance facilitates cooperation among its members, the exchange of best practices, and communication with the general public.
