The African Private Capital Association has announced Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, as the host city for its 2027 Annual Conference and Venture Capital Summit, underscoring growing investor confidence in West Africa’s economic trajectory.

The decision was unveiled at the close of AVCA’s 22nd conference in Nairobi, Kenya, where more than 800 global and regional investors, policymakers and corporate leaders gathered to assess Africa’s investment outlook amid shifting global economic conditions.

With the theme ‘Break the Mould: Reshaping the Future of African Private Capital’, discussions centred on how private capital can drive resilience, deepen financial markets and unlock liquidity through increased exits. Delegates highlighted a more proactive role for investors in shaping Africa’s financial architecture, particularly as global capital reallocates in response to geopolitical and macroeconomic pressures.

A standout moment was a fireside chat featuring James Mwangi, Group Managing Director and CEO of Equity Group Holdings. Speaking alongside AfricInvest’s Ann Wyman, Mwangi pointed to private equity as a catalyst behind Equity Bank’s rapid scale, which saw it capture about 60 per cent of Kenya’s bank accounts within a decade.
He described disciplined capital deployment and long-term investment as key to building scalable, high-impact financial institutions.

In a panel on fundraising, speakers, including representatives of British International Investment and Africa50 Infrastructure Acceleration Fund, highlighted a shift toward alternative funding sources and more sophisticated fund structuring to meet investor expectations in a constrained liquidity environment. Industry leaders called for a move from deal-by-deal transactions to ecosystem-based investing, with a stronger emphasis on execution speed and operational scalability.

AVCA also signalled structural shifts within the industry with the launch of a Private Credit Committee, reflecting the rapid growth of private debt as an asset class in emerging markets. The committee will be co-chaired by Joe Mate of British International Investment and Zain Latif of TLG Capital, alongside members drawn from leading investment firms and institutions.

The association further announced new appointments to its board and key committees, including Adefolarin Ogunsanya of Development Partners International, Fatoumata Ba of Janngo Capital and Laurent Demy of Amethis, aimed at strengthening governance and driving industry standards.

AVCA Chief Executive Officer Abi Mustapha-Maduakor said the new leadership appointments reflect the expertise required to sustain momentum in Africa’s private capital markets, while acknowledging outgoing members for advancing regulatory frameworks and investor coordination.