FMAS catch up: key points from the first South Africa summit

Author: Petros Kalaitzis

What happens in Africa doesn’t stay in Africa.

Last week, Finance Magnates hosted its first Africa Summit in Sandton, South Africa. Tools for Brokers couldn’t miss this legendary event, and we are pleased to report that the summit was a great success.

For those who couldn't make it, we’d like to share some of the insights and observations that the TFB team noticed during the three days of the exhibition.

• There is an upward trend in the financial world. The growing number of brokerages is evident, and there is a lot of untapped potential that new companies are eager to explore.
• There is a shift toward multiplatform support, but it is not as drastic as in some other regions. Undeniably, there is a global shift towards multiplatform, which TFB has proudly pioneered.
• Overall, we noted a positive outlook surrounding the market's future as regulators hint at a commitment to stable and reasonable regulation legislation and system. Governments across the continent are realising the potential and the importance of the financial market, and they’re eager to participate in the world economy.
• South Africa looks to be on track to be one of the African centres for trading and investing, with long-term plans of becoming a global financial centre, too.
• Prop trading is likely to be further accepted and more widely used as market players and regulators champion its inception. There is no large prop trading market yet, but you can feel it growing and developing.
• Local licensed brokers are dominating the market. Big international companies are naturally also present there, but the locals are quite strong in terms of reputation and revenue.
• Also, brokers here rely greatly on Introducing Brokers (IBs), influencers, and YouTubers. These groups heavily influence the end clients (traders) and play a vital role in a trader's decision-making regarding the company with which they will open an account.

There is so much more that we saw and learned during the Expo. It’s wonderful to see so much talent, expertise, and potential in one place. We look forward to continuing work with our clients and partners in South Africa and across the continent.

If you’d like to learn more about what we do for brokers, prop trading firms, and hedge funds or to share your insights about the financial market in Africa, please email us at sales@t4b.com.