INTO AFRICA November 2017 Edition: Islamic Finance: Africa’s New Momentum

Welcome to the November 2017 edition of INTO AFRICA, a publication with fresh insight into Africa’s emerging capital markets.  As the global business environment adapts to the new normal and the implications of a post-oil economy, Africa continues to be an increasingly important component of global growth. In particular, the expansion of Islamic finance in Africa is providing new growth opportunities and propelling faster trade and economic growth in the continent. Against this dynamic backdrop, this edition is titled: Islamic Finance: Africa’s New Momentum.

Globally, Islamic Economic Principles play a significant role to today’s Business Environment, with the size of the Islamic economy size reaching US$2.3 trillion and the world population of Muslims reaching 1.6 billion. Africa is a vital region for the development of Islamic finance and has long been a hotbed of interest with an estimated 45-50% of the African population being Muslim, standing between 400 and 500 million people and exceptional natural resources.

Islamic finance transactions do not include interest but instead, use risk sharing to justify earning of profit. Furthermore, Islamic finance’s underpinning principles of promoting participation, equity, property rights and ethics. With its unique asset-oriented structure, Islamic finance is quite relevant to the financing of large infrastructure projects needed in Africa and can be one of the key tools that can help boost sustainable economic development in Africa.

In addition, with the proper regulations, increased transparency, education, and an objective, non-political perspective of the Shari’a compliant sector, Islamic finance in Africa has the potential to thrive and makes the continent an attractive investment preference amongst Shari’a compliant investors globally.

Please download by clicking: INTO AFRICA PUBLICATION: NOVEMBER 2017 EDITION.