Enabling your trade flows for growth

If one were to speak to African suppliers who trade across borders, many would say that doing business within the continent can feel riskier than exporting beyond it. Especially for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), information on counterparties is not always easy to obtain, regional currencies can be volatile and difficult to hedge, forward markets offer little depth, and access to affordable finance is often limited at precisely the moment it is needed most.

Returning to Cape Town on 12–13 March 2026, GTR Africa convenes leading corporates, financial institutions, policymakers and innovators to shape the future of African trade.

Ask most people about Africa’s trade challenges, and they’ll point to infrastructure—congested ports, unreliable roads, or logistical bottlenecks. But the real constraint isn’t what you can see; it’s what you can’t.

The future of African trade is being shaped by today’s conversations. As a proud sponsor of GTR Africa Cape Town 2025, we are at the forefront of these discussions.

Take your business beyond borders with Absa’s Trade Finance and Working Capital solutions at GTR Africa London 2024. This event will gather industry experts across markets discussing topics ranging from innovation, trade and commodity flows, infrastructure and the ever-changing global environment.

For Africa to narrow a trade finance gap which is nearing $120bn per year, we need stakeholders to take a more nuanced approach to risk and partnerships in 2024.

This event will connect industry experts across markets focusing on topics ranging from innovation, trade and commodity flows, infrastructure and the ever-changing global environment.

Europe remains one of the most important continents for trade with Africa, but recent years have seen a decline relative to other regions, with a notable uptick in flows from China and MEA regions.

Absa Corporate and Investment Bank is once again proud to sponsor the GTR Africa 2023 event. Our focus, as a leading Pan-African bank is to empower businesses through our sustainable Trade Finance solutions.

As a Pan-African bank that spans the continent, our deep sector knowledge and innovative digital banking solutions help grow businesses and economies across the continent.

Small- and medium enterprises (SMEs) are crucial to Africa’s and South Africa’s economy. SMEs urgently need bank funding support to aid their survival through the challenges brought on by the pandemic. Through funding, small businesses can participate and benefit from the new growth opportunities presented by the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). At Absa, we are committed to all our clients (big or small) and are determined to give them access to limitless possibilities.

Absa’s Abdul Yassim (Head of sales trade and working capital South Africa) and Ruth Ngulube (Head of trade and working capital in Zambia) unpack Covid-19’s effects on trade and how it will bounce back. They explain that despite the challenges South Africa and the region face, there are emerging solutions that will bring new opportunities into the industry.