The first day of the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi saw the signing of an MoU marking the launch of the Pan-African Fund Managers’ Association (PAFMA), a new trade association bringing together fund managers from across the continent with backing from some of the industry’s most powerful players.

The five founding members of PAFMA are the Pension Fund Operators Association of Nigeria (PENOP); the Fund Managers Association (FMA) in Kenya; the Botswana Investment Professionals Society (BIPS); the Ghana Securities Industry Association (GSIA) and the Investment Management Association of Uganda (IMAU). 

These national associations, which between them account for assets under management of over  $70bn, have established PAFMA in collaboration with FSD Africa, a specialist development agency working to build and strengthen financial markets across sub-Saharan Africa.

Championing alternative investments

The launch of PAFMA comes as the industry faces many challenges. These include historically low savings rates along with a scarcity of viable investment opportunities and the escalating environmental risks confronting the continent.

Recognising the prevalent dominance of government securities among the current investible assets managed by fund managers on the continent, PAFMA’s primary objective is to foster the adoption of alternative investments.