Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, August 23, 2019 – The Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI) will hold its 2019 CEO Forum African Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) from November 4 to 7, 2019, under the theme: “Powering the DFI 4.0 Journey’’, at the Durban International Convention Centre, in Durban, South Africa. The 2019 CEO Forum is being hosted by the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) andthe Industrial Development (IDC), with the support the Durban KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Convention Bureau.

The Forum will bring together over 350 senior level executives including Chief Executive Officers, Senior Management Executives, and Officials in African DFIs, Multilateral Development Finance Institutions (MDFIs), African DFIs’ Supervisory Authorities and Government Agencies responsible for promoting development finance, Central Banks, Ministries of Finance, and Monetary Financial Institutions (MFIs), as well as other stakeholders, to sustain conversation on the issue of transforming current DFIs into fourth-generation development banks and co-create the future of development banking and finance.

The discussions of the 2019 CEO Forum will focus on four main subthemes: (1) From DFI 1.0 to 4.0 which will be about the “Rewind, Play and Fast Forward” of development finance institutions; (2) Modernizing Development Finance which will discuss the practical must-do list to make DFIs fully responsive to a 4.0 world; (3) Fourth-Generation DFIs for Sustainable industrialization which will feature specific areas in which the intervention of DFIs is essential; and (4) The Way Forward which will focus on next actionable steps for creating DFI 4.0.

In addition, the 2019 CEO Forum will conduct the 9th Peer Review of African DFIs with the Prudential Standards, Guidelines and Rating System (PSGRS) and draw lessons for strengthening DFIs with appropriate regulations. The Peer Review includes reviewing the implementation and application of the PSGRS Mechanism in DFIs; suggesting strategy on how the application of the PSGRS in DFIs could be strengthened; reviewing the effectiveness of implementation of PSGRS in member institutions and share success stories; coming to a consensus on how to sustain stakeholders’ commitment on the PSGRS, share the experiences of Regulatory Authorities in supervising DFIs with the PSGRS, and other regulations; and networking among CEOs and stakeholders in Development Financing.

The official opening ceremony of the 2019 CEO Forum of African DFIs will be presided over by the Honorable Minister of Finance of South Africa, on November 5, 2019 from 9:00 am. Mr. Thabo Thamane, Chairman of AADFI and CEO of the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), Botswana, the Mayor of Ethekwini Municipality and other high officials of the Government of South Africa, the DBSA, the IDC, the Durban KZN Convention Bureau, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union (AU) will also attend the opening ceremony and deliver keynote addresses.
About the Association of African Development Finance Institutions (AADFI)
AADFI is a continental organization established under the auspices of the African Development Bank in 1975. The AADFI has its Headquarters in Abidjan, Republic of Côte d’Ivoire. It has about 83 active member institutions made up of national and multinational institutions engaged in finance and development activities in Africa, and in other continents. The Association is a founding member of the World Federation of Development Financing Institutions (WFDFI).

The current Chairman of AADFI is Mr. Thabo P. Thamane, CEO of the Citizen Entrepreneurial Development Agency (CEDA), Botswana.

For further information about AADFI, please visit www.adfi-ci.org.

About the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
DBSA was established in 1983, in South Africa, to perform a broad economic development function within the homeland constitutional dispensation that prevailed at the time. The institution seeks to play a pivotal role in delivering developmental infrastructure in South Africa and the rest of the African continent. Its vision is to achieve a prosperous and integrated resource efficient region, progressively free of poverty and dependency.
The current CEO of DBSA is Mr. Patrick K. Dlamini.
For further information about DBSA, please visit www.dbsa.org.

About the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
IDC of South Africa was established in 1940, and is a national development finance institution set up to promote economic growth and industrial development. The institution is owned by the South African government under the supervision of the Economic Development Department. Its vision is to be the primary driving force of commercially sustainable industrial development and innovation for the benefit of South Africa and the rest of Africa.
The current CEO of IDC is Mr. Tshokolo P. Nchocho.
For further information about IDC, please visit www.idc.co.za.

About the The Durban KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Convention Bureau
Durban KZN Convention Bureau is a partnership initiative of the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs and the Ethekwini Municipality to promote the meeting or business tourism services of the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the metropolitan area of Durban. The Bureau began its operations on the 1 July 2010 and is thus still very much at its inception stage of development. It operates as a special division of Tourism KwaZulu-Natal.
For further information about Durban KZN Convention Bureau, please visit www.durbankzncb.co.za.

National and international media organizations and agencies are invited to cover the 2019 CEO Forum of African DFIs in Durban, South Africa.
For further information about the coordination of the 2019 CEO Forum of African DFIs, please contact:
Mrs. Sherine Panton-Ntshona, Manager: Stakeholder Strategic Partnerships, Office of the CEO, DBSA – Tel.: +27 11 313 3214 / +27 82 678 7440; Email: SherineP@dbsa.org.
Mr. Cyril Okoye, Training and Research Manager, AADFI – Tel.: (225) 22 52 79 40, Fax: (225) 22 52 25 84 / 22 52 79 41; Email: cyril@adfi-ci.org.
Mr. Pappy Ngandu, Training and Coordination Officer, AADFI – Tel.: (225) 22 52 79 40, Fax: (225) 22 52 25 84 / 22 52 79 41; Email: pngandu@adfi-ci.org.