World to Africa - navigating the new frontier of investment: report

Africa’s investment story is shifting towards greater stability, access and private market depth.

In Partnership with

Investor sentiment towards Africa is strengthening as access conditions improve and private markets become more central to portfolio strategy. Produced in partnership with Standard Bank and based on insights from 115 global respondents, this report examines where confidence is building, which markets are leading expected growth and what this means for institutional and corporate participants.

African allocations rising

Growth

Africa is moving closer to the centre of portfolio strategy as more investors prepare to increase exposure over the next two years.

The shift suggests the continent is increasingly being viewed as a long-term allocation rather than a peripheral opportunity.

Access barriers are easing

Access

Improvements in FX liquidity, regulation and transparency are beginning to reduce the barriers that have historically limited investment.

Access remains uneven, but conditions are improving across the markets investors view as most credible.

Private market momentum

Private Markets

Private markets are becoming a larger part of the African investment case as investors look for deeper, more durable exposure.

This trend is reinforced by 83% of small and mid-tier investors also expecting their African exposure to rise."

Africa is entering a new phase in global investment strategy as investors place greater emphasis on stability, professionalisation and long-term market access. The question is no longer only where growth may come from, but which markets can support deeper, more durable investment over time.

Why are more investors planning to increase exposure to Africa before 2028? How are improving access conditions and rising interest in private markets reshaping the continent’s investment profile?

The report examines investor sentiment, operational improvements and market developments shaping Africa’s investment landscape in 2026. Based on input from 115 global respondents, it looks at how access conditions are changing, where momentum is concentrating and why private markets are becoming more important to future growth.

The research, produced in partnership with Standard Bank, highlights:

74% plan to increase African investments: most respondents expect to expand exposure before 2028 as Africa becomes a more central part of portfolio strategy

49% say Africa is easier to access: operational barriers are beginning to ease as FX liquidity, regulation and transparency improve

93% of wealth managers expect private market growth: private markets are becoming a more important part of the investment case across the continent