The Business Council for Africa (BCA) is collaborating with KPMG to establish the African Bankers Forum (ABF) to improve investment and cross-border trade with the continent.

The ABF will be a non-profit professional forum for individuals and businesses that work within banking and related industries in Sub-Saharan Africa and the UK.

The ABF will convene three to four times a year for financial service professionals to share common issues and challenges, improve relations and share information between Sub-Saharan African and British private and public financial sectors.

“The African Bankers Forum is an excellent way to work among each other to improve the climate for investment and cross-border trade between Africa and the rest of the world,” says ABF chairman Arnold Ekpe.

“Africa is capital deficient and needs to trade with the world. Strict international anti-money laundering rules mean we have to find ways to comply without stifling opportunity for growth.”

The BCA will provide specialist advice to the ABF while KPMG will perform the secretariat role.

Director of financial services at KPMG Samer Hijazi says: “The opportunities for the ABF are endless, with both KPMG and BCA very passionate about what can be achieved to further the development and growth of the African banking community in the UK.”