A landmark conference is coming to East Africa this spring as the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) and global factoring network FCI prepare to jointly host the Africa Regional Conference on Factoring, Receivables Finance & Credit Insurance. Scheduled for 15–16 April 2026 in Kampala, Uganda, the event arrives at a pivotal moment for the continent’s financial landscape.
Held under the theme “Beyond Traditional Lending: The Continued Rise of Factoring and Supply Chain Finance in Africa,” the conference is backed by Afreximbank, FCI Academy, and the International Credit Insurance & Surety Association (ICISA). It will draw senior representatives from financial institutions, development finance bodies, insurers, regulators, and government agencies across Africa and beyond.
Why Now?
As Africa advances toward a unified market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the trade finance gap — disproportionately felt by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) — remains a stubborn obstacle. Factoring and supply chain finance are increasingly recognized as practical tools for bridging that gap, offering businesses immediate access to working capital by converting outstanding invoices into liquidity rather than waiting on traditional loan approvals.
Mrs. Kanayo Awani, Executive Vice President for Intra-African Trade and Export Development at Afreximbank, put it plainly ahead of the event: factoring “is not just an alternative, it is a necessity for African businesses that need immediate liquidity to remain competitive.” She added that by hosting the dialogue in Kampala, Afreximbank and FCI aim to ensure the legal and financial frameworks are in place “to turn these receivables into the working capital that drives the AfCFTA engine.”
What’s on the Agenda?
Discussions will span a range of issues critical to scaling receivables finance across the continent, including market development, legal and regulatory frameworks, credit insurance, digitalisation, and the practical steps involved in building sustainable solutions. The conference is designed not just as a forum for ideas, but as a space for actionable dialogue between market practitioners, policymakers, and industry leaders.
FCI Deputy Secretary General Ms. Betül Kurtuluş emphasized that progress in this space requires more than awareness. “This conference reflects that shared commitment and provides a valuable opportunity to explore how these solutions can continue to evolve across the region,” she said.
A Growing Movement
The Kampala conference is the latest signal that Africa’s financial institutions are moving beyond conventional lending models. By spotlighting factoring and receivables finance — tools that remain underleveraged across much of the continent — Afreximbank and FCI are making a clear statement: closing the trade finance gap will require innovation, collaboration, and the right enabling environment.
Through this joint initiative, both organizations reaffirm their commitment to fostering the market development and cross-border cooperation needed to drive meaningful economic growth across Africa.