5th Annual Africa Trade & Export Finance Conference

Event Review

The leading figures in the world of African trade and export finance descended on Cape Town for Exporta’s 5th Annual Africa Trade & Export Finance Conference, which took place at the Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa on March 8-9th.

Widely recognised as the only event in the calendar focusing specifically on trade and export finance within the Sub-Saharan market, the conference once again focused on Africa’s huge growth potential, as a fast growing economy strengthened by a growing middle class, increasing commodity prices and unrivalled natural resources, both for international and domestic markets.

Having enjoyed great success in the past, 2011’s gathering welcomed support from a number of  leading organisations on the continent, including Standard Chartered, Nedbank Capital, Afreximbank, Standard Bank, FMO, ICIEC, Bowman Gilfillan, China Systems and Rockall Tech, while an unrivalled line-up of expert speakers promised an engaging event full of informed content and high level debate.

Leading issues covered over the course of the two days included the issue of returning appetites for trade finance within the banking community, export diversification and the support mechanisms available, investment risk, protecting the supply chain, challenges faced in getting paid, the fluctuating nature of commodity prices, the role of other emerging markets such as China and Latin America, and the importance of obtaining finance in the development of key infrastructure projects. Full details on the programme for the two days can be viewed here.

The conference welcomed delegates from leading companies such as Huawei, Nokia Siemens, Samsung and ZTE Corporation, to name but a few, with the focus very much placed on the dynamic between exporters of goods and services and the financiers responsible for funding them.

Following the conclusion of Day One, a special evening reception took place onboard a special cruise boat, where delegates made the most of the opportunity to network long into the evening within the beautiful and informal setting of Table Bay.

Description

Exporta revisits the picturesque location of Cape Town for what will be its 5th Annual Africa Trade & Export Finance Conference, taking place once again on the Table Bay peninsula on March 8-9, 2011.

An emerging market highlighted by many as having ‘the greatest potential for growth’, Africa is now regarded as a new global player, with a fast growing economy strengthened by a growing middle class, increasing commodity prices and unrivalled natural resources, both for international and domestic markets.

Furthermore, the changing shape of the global economic landscape has shown the development of close trade and investment relations with markets such as China and India to be the most lucrative for long term development, with levels of investment at such a level that Africa now enjoys a trading surplus with China.

Now the leading export conference for the continent, Exporta’s 5th Annual Africa Trade & Export Finance Conference will bring together all of the leading actors within Africa trade, export and commodity finance, incorporating high level discussion on financing challenges faced in meeting this vast potential, highlighting global success stories and considering whether risk and liquidity appetites are returning.

Among those topics to be discussed over the course of the conference:

• Assessing the key areas for potential growth with specific focus on intra-regional trade
• Highlighting the importance of increased foreign direct investment in improving local infrastructure
• Do banks have adequate liquidity and appetite for risk to undertake trade finance deals in Africa?
• Increasing export levels across the continent to reduce dependence on imports and domestic consumption
• What are the latest tools being used to mitigate against fluctuating commodity prices?
• Considering challenges faced in protecting the supply chain when doing business in Africa
• Deal structuring: How likely are tight structures to remain particularly in light of Basel III?
• Providing case studies on increased economic cooperation with other key markets such as China and India
• Outlining political risk concerns throughout the region and assessing impact on market appeal

Who should attend?

• Trade, export and commodity finance heads and directors
• Corporate finance directors, CFOs, controllers and treasurers
• Commodity brokers and traders
• Insurance underwriters and brokers
• Export credit agencies
• Multilaterals
• Solution providers
• Lawyers and consultants
• Market analysts and policy advisors

As with all Exporta events, strong emphasis will be placed on the importance of networking, with only the highest level of decision makers in attendance at this event. There will also be an evening reception on the evening of Day One, allowing delegates to take in the stunning views of Cape Town on a cruise boat.
 

Event Photos

Brochure

Programme

Day One

08.00 Registration and refreshments

09.00 Chairman’s opening remarks
Ebenezer Essoka, CEO, South Africa, Standard Chartered Bank

09.15 Panel discussion: Is the appetite for financing African trade returning?
Moderator: Sekete Mokgehle, Head of Global Structured Trade & Commodity Finance, Nedbank Capital
Werner Tappen, Director, Trade & Export Finance, Sub-Saharan Region, WestLB
Yusuf Ali Khan, Head of Structured & Trade Finance, Citi
Debbie Emmanuel, Executive Director, Trade Finance Africa, J.P. Morgan
Fedja Canters, Investment Officer, Africa, FMO
•    Addressing continuing grievances in finding access to trade finance in Sub-Saharan Africa
•    Evaluating current transaction levels and comparing them over the last two years
•    Are global operators picking and choosing their segments of interest in terms of industry and geography?
•    How local banks have galvanised to increase trade finance flows throughout the region
•    The role of credit committees in approving relatively small capital-intensive deals
•    Considering the importance of utilising credit lines from ECAs and multilaterals

10.15 Export finance: Seeing the bigger picture
Denys Denya, Executive Vice President, Administrative & Banking Services, Afreximbank
•    Questioning the dominance of larger well-priced export deals and their regional impact
•    Increasing focus on the need for banks to support importers to achieve long-term growth
•    The importance of ensuring the necessary supply of raw materials to aid export production
•    Considering new mechanisms for supporting export diversification in Africa

10.45 Networking break

11.15 Out of Africa: A case study
Gabriel Buck, Head of Capex Financing Solutions, Barclays Capital
•    Financing African exports to other emerging markets
•    The role of export credit agencies in providing such facilities
•    ECA flexibility: Not limited to just OECD countries
•    How Africa can prove to be a dynamic exporter when supported by a dynamic ECA
•    Lessons learned and opportunities going forward

11.45 Signs of revival? Syndicated loans within African trade finance
Pamela Green, Director, Syndications, Standard Chartered Bank
•    Examining the latest trends within the STF syndicated loan market across the continent
•    Assessing the popularity of local currency syndications and offering a comparison
•    Who are the new entrants in the marketplace and is there enough to go around?

12.15 Investment risk in Africa: Perception versus reality
Jorim Schraven, Manager, Financial Institutions, FMO
•    Currency risk: Comparing Africa with Latin America
•    Credit risk: The experience of FMO
•    Country risk: Why Africa is different
•    Managing the three C's: Product choice & portfolio management

12.45 Lunch

14.00 Adapting risk mitigation products to cope with supply chain security risks
Moderator: Rupert Cutler, Special Risks, Miller Insurance
Paul Culham, Active Underwriter, Marine & Special Risks, Kiln Underwriting Syndicate
Tracy de Kock, Manager, New Business, Alexander Forbes Risk Services
•    Risk transfer to insurers as a cost effective means of protecting a company or reducing variable risk
•    The role of Basel-recognised products in enabling banks and financiers to meet credit committee demands
•    Benefits provided to manufacturers and traders in releasing additional funds to support transactions
•    Assessing common threats to physical assets and how to address them in your insurance coverage
•    The role of insurance in covering loss of anticipated income caused by governments or regulatory action
•    Keeping pace with the industry needs through complimenting traditional policies with new products

14.50 The evolution of collateral management services in African supply chain management
Andrew Barr-Sim, Managing Director, Drum Resources
•    The role of collateral management in limiting banking risk
•    Outlining the benefits of providing a comprehensive solution package from start to finish
•    How to best evaluate risk requirements such as insurance provision
•    Providing detailed case studies on previous successes and failures

15.15 Challenges faced in getting paid when doing business in Africa
Jurriaan Braat, Partner, Omni Bridgeway
•    Pre-empt a default: Take advantage of investor protection and use a watertight contract
•    Recovery in higher risk jurisdictions:  The importance of intelligence and asset identification
•    Keeping yourself abreast of all legal and compliance obligations
•    Case studies with relevance to South African exporters and investors

15.40 Networking break

16.10 The use of structured finance techniques in the agricultural commodity sector
Lodewyk Meyer, Director, Banking and Finance, Bowman Gilfillan
•    Providing security dependent on transaction performance than borrower creditworthiness
•    Placing emphasis on transaction documentation and future cash flows rather than fixed assets
•    Focusing on performance risk and constitutive elements such as cash flow and profitability
•    Applying SF to different aspects of the value chain including production, distribution, storage and processing

16.35 Panel discussion: Are global commodity prices now stabilising and what does the future hold?
Moderator: Lodewyk Meyer, Director, Banking and Finance, Bowman Gilfillan
Zhann Meyer, Director of Agriculture, Commodity Traders & Agribusiness, Standard Chartered Bank
Gregory Havermahl, Structured Trade & Commodity Finance, Fixed Income, Currency & Commodities, Rand Merchant Bank
Andre Soumah, Chairman, Ace Audit Control & Expertise Global
•    Tracking how the gradual increase in global demand has benefitted Africa’s core industry sectors
•    New opportunities: Stabilising prices and the emergence of new countries across the commodity sphere
•    Questioning the impact of speculative commodity purchasing on local producers and economies
•    A double-edged sword: Balancing the benefits of highly priced exports against expensive import costs
•    Debating whether the influence of commodity price trends on African growth is overrated
•    How significant is FDI in maintaining global commodity demand and keeping prices competitive?

17.30 Close of Day One

18.00 Boat to depart for special evening reception cruise


Day Two

08.15 Coffee and networking

09.00 Chairman’s morning remarks
Sekete Mokgehle, Head of Global Structured Trade & Commodity Finance, Nedbank Capital

09.10 Facilitating Chinese investment into African resources: Challenges and opportunities
Omen Muza, Managing Director, TFC Capital (Zimbabwe)
•    A review of the key drivers and destinations of  China-Africa  investment flows
•    What is China’s model of investment in Africa and what are its pros and cons?
•    Interrogating the value proposition for Chinese investment in Africa
•    An outline of the risks and opportunities faced by Chinese investors seeking to expose themselves to African assets
•    What is the state of Sino-Zim investment flows in the wake of the country’s erstwhile ‘Look East’ policy?

09.40 Panel discussion: Creating a global network for facilitating African trade
Moderator: Karen Henwood, Regional Manager Treasury Services, Southern Africa, BNY Mellon
Michael Creighton, Head of Sub Saharan Africa, Sace
Susanne With, Senior Advisor, EKN
Marc Murcia, Head of Medium and Long Term Department, Coface
Faruq Muhammad, Regional Head, Africa & Middle East, Structured Export Finance, Standard Chartered Bank
•    Delivering value across global transactional relationship cycles
•    How local and international institutions are working more closely together to assist local importers and exporters
•    Highlighting the importance of collaboration between different actors and comparing the services provided
•    Raising funds to help finance south-south trade and the associated benefits provided for SMEs
•    Contributing to the development of long-term partnerships between trading economies

10.35 Support from afar: The role of south-south trade in developing African exports
David Wightman, Director of Structured Trade Finance, Banco Espirito Santo (BES)
•    How other emerging markets such as China and Brazil are leading the way in their appetite for Africa
•    Considering the increased role for their institutions in large-scale syndications
•    Highlighting new joint ventures being established and the role of government support in enabling these
•    Enough room for everyone: Contrasting areas of focus for doing business within the continent

11.05 Networking break

11.35 Case study: The role of Islamic financing and credit insurance in supporting African trade
Abdel Rahman Eltayeb Taha, Chief Executive Officer, Islamic Corporation for Insurance of Investments & Export Credits (ICIEC)
•    The role of multilateral institutions such as Islamic Development Bank Group in furthering south-south trade
•    Considering the role of export credit and political risk insurance in supporting African trade
•    Case Study: Ethiopia, Djibouti and for LC

12.05 Highlighting the importance of collaboration between support institutions
Gboyega Songonuga, Regional Head of Trade, Africa, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
•    How ECAs and multilaterals are working more closely together to strengthen south-south trade
•    Raising funds to help finance Indian imports into Africa and benefits provided for SMEs
•    Contributing to the development of long-term partnerships between emerging market economies

12.35 Panel discussion: Have project financiers regained their confidence in Africa?
Moderator: Neil VanNiekerk, Director, Project & Export Finance, Africa, Standard Chartered Bank
Michael Fischer, Regional Director, Southern Africa, DEG
Dave Smit, Manager, Structured Finance & Energy, FMO
Marc Hasenclever, Chief Operating Officer, Shoreline Power Company
Douglas Bennet, Director, Frontier Market Fund Managers
•    Considering challenges faced in key sectors through project deferral and cancellations
•    How have project financiers sought to mitigate against risk when forming agreements?
•    Comparing the success in gaining funding for commodity-based projects and the role of volatile pricing
•    Assessing the role of direct financing institutions in assisting through 'picking up the slack'
•    What have been the successful infrastructure funds and how have they utilised commodity revenues?
•    The role of ECAs and multilaterals in filling gaps in energy and transportation infrastructure projects

13.30 Closing remarks followed by networking lunch
 

Venue

Accommodation

Delegates are responsible for the arrangement and payment of their own travel and accommodation. 

Upon registering to attend this event, Exporta will inform you of how to book accommodation at the venue. 

Sponsors

Sponsorship opportunities including exhibition stands are available for this event.

To become a sponsor, please contact Tom Whitehead, Head of Sponsorship Sales at twhitehead@exportagroup.com.

Exporta's events have a global reputation, renowned for superb networking opportunities and educational presentations by high-profile speakers.

Time after time our events attract the leading companies in our market as sponsors.

See below for a full list of our Event Sponsors, Institutional Partners and Media Partners and click on the logo to visit their web site. 

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