Experts in the pension industry had predicted another wave of M&A that would follow the last recapitalisation exercise
Africa’s rapidly expanding pension industry now valued at $420 billion is emerging as one of the continent’s most powerful engines for economic transformation, with growing retirement savings expected to finance infrastructure, deepen capital markets and strengthen financial stability.
Johnson Pandit Asiama, governor of the Bank of Ghana speaking at the Africa Pension Supervisors Association (APSA) Annual Conference in Accra, said pension systems have evolved beyond their traditional role of providing retirement income to become critical sources of long-term domestic capital capable of supporting sustainable economic and social development across Africa.
He noted that pension assets under management across Africa have now exceeded $420 billion, underscoring the growing influence of retirement funds in shaping investment, financial markets and macroeconomic stability. The expanding asset base, he said, presents Africa with a unique opportunity to mobilise long-term domestic savings for productive investments instead of relying heavily on external financing.
“As Africa’s pension systems expand, their resilience will increasingly shape that of the wider financial system,” Asiama said, urging regulators and policymakers to view pension funds as strategic institutions capable of supporting economic resilience while protecting workers’ retirement savings.
