The Finance Magnates Africa Summit (FMAS:23) will kick off today, lasting until May 10. The marquee event will take place at the luxurious Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. The summit will draw a record attendance and the biggest brands in Africa and beyond.
This includes Equiti Capital, who will be in attendance and showcasing all that the company has to offer. Finance Magnates spoke with Philippe Nader, the Group Head of Brokerage Support, for his perspective on FMAS:23 and Africa in general.
Are you excited for FMAS:23, and how do you feel your business can directly benefit from attending an event such as this in Africa?
We’re always excited about these events, but this one, in particular, as we are entering the South African market for the first time. Although we have an established footprint in East Africa, FMAS:23 will be a great opportunity to expand our horizons and network with new markets.
What are you expecting to see or get out of FMAS:23?
We’re thrilled to network and have the opportunity to share valuable face time with our clients, partners and new players in the market. You can already feel the long-standing connections between Europe, the US, Asia, and the Middle East, but I think African nations still need to be included and this event may be the start of that – which is exciting for us but also for the industry in general.
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding brokers and brands making a move into Africa. Does this align with your company’s goals and is this excitement justified?
Absolutely, we believe Africa is an exciting virgin market with immense opportunity for traders, brokerages, and liquidity providers – which is why we were one of the first to enter the Kenyan market about 5 years ago. Each market will grow and develop at its own pace, but education will always be key to sustaining growth and that’s why we are heavily invested in promoting financial literacy through our free programme in East Africa.
With the biggest brands on display at FMAS:23, how does yours stand out in the crowd?
Equiti Capital stands out by offering tailored liquidity solutions supported by a dedicated team. Our liquidity provision is flexible thanks to our multi-asset portfolio, low margins, deep top-of-book and stable spreads. It’s also stabilised by instant execution via world class APIs, strong local and global governance, and well-capitalised by an extensive liquidity pool that includes Tier 1 banks. From Day One, we’ve been focused on being innovative and agile in our approach to giving the right liquidity to the right audience, but we also care deeply about providing a local touch despite our global reach.
2023 has already been a very eventful year for several industry verticals. Are there any challenges you foresee during the second half of the year and beyond, and how is your company built to overcome or address them?
After SBB and Credit Suisse, not to mention the ongoing conflict in Eastern Europe, we’ve been heavily investing in our risk management infrastructure and recommend other businesses should do so too. This year’s major events and the potential for an incoming recession will likely expose already volatile markets to even more uncertainty, but robust risk management and solid governance should allow future obstacles to be overcome.
