Absa Macro and Risk Management Conference 2025 Join the live event on LinkedIn Absa | Corporate and Investment Banking > Insights and Events > Macro and Risk Management Conference 2025 The Absa Macro and Risk Management Conference underscores Absa’s commitment to helping clients make sense of global volatility and translate it into actionable African strategy. By convening world-class thinkers, the conference challenges institutional investors and corporate leaders to look beyond the noise of tariffs, wars, and economic turbulence — and focus on long-term opportunities for growth, resilience, and regional collaboration. This year’s conversations will encourage a shift from reactive information flows to strategic foresight, spotlighting Africa’s misunderstood risk profile, the need for mega projects, and the power of pooled capital to unlock the continent’s potential 18 September 2025 From Global Shockwaves to African Strategy In a world shaped by volatility, the 2025 Absa Macro and Risk Management Conference brings together Africa’s sharpest minds to decode the ripple effects of global disruption. From trade tariffs and geopolitical tensions to shifting monetary policies and climate-linked shocks — the global landscape is sending tremors through every market. But Africa is not just absorbing the impact. We’re responding with strategy, resilience, and innovation. This year’s theme — “From Global Shockwaves to African Strategy” — invites us to explore how our continent is navigating the crosscurrents of risk and opportunity. We’ll unpack how wars and trade barriers are reshaping capital flows, how inflation and interest rate cycles are influencing investment decisions, and how African institutions are adapting their risk frameworks to stay ahead. Through keynote insights and panel debates, we’ll spotlight the tools and thinking that empower African markets not just to survive but to thrive in a turbulent global economy. Mark your calendars and join us at the 2025 Absa Macro and Risk Management Conference, as we turn complexity into clarity and risk into strategy. Absa Corporate and Investment Banking has the insights to help you break into new markets. We are invested in your story, and we invite you to write it with us because… your story matters. We’re proud to present this year’s edition of the Absa Macro and Risk Management Conference. Watch as Reggie Mlangeni unpacks the theme of mindset reset and why it matters for Africa’s investment future. Meet the speakers Who will be sharing valuable insights and thought leadership at the conference Vimal Shah Chairman of Bidco Africa Vimal Shah is the Chairman of Bidco Africa, East Africa’s leading manufacturer of Edible Oils, Hygiene and Personal Care products, and Food & Beverages. Bidco has over 60 brands and a footprint in 18 African countries. He is a distinguished global leader who is making an impactful difference in all fronts. A believer in the growth and a robust economic potential in Africa and its people. Vimal is passionate about Entrepreneurship and believes, living the true spirit, that it is the strong pillar that will move an Economic Africa forward. Born in Kenya in 1960, Vimal went through his education in Kenya, going ahead to acquire an Accounting and Finance - Business Administration degree from United States International University – Africa, Nairobi Campus, that set the pace for his interest in Entrepreneurship. With a short-lived career in Insurance, Vimal’s aggression and enterprising spirit steered him to take a bold move to set up a new direction for the family-owned business in textile manufacturing. Neil Howe Managing Director of Demography at Hedgeye Risk Management Neil Howe is the Managing Director of Demography at Hedgeye Risk Management, an independent financial research firm, as well as President of LifeCourse Associates. Howe is a renowned authority on generations and social change in America. An acclaimed bestselling author and speaker, he is the nation's leading thinker on today's generations—who they are, what motivates them, and how they will shape America's future. A historian, economist, and demographer, Howe is also a recognised authority on global aging, long-term fiscal policy, and migration. He is currently a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and the Global Aging Institute, both in Washington D.C. Howe has co-authored numerous studies for CSIS (including the Aging Vulnerability Index and pioneering studies on pension reform in China and South Korea). Howe has written over a dozen books on generations, demographic change, and fiscal policy, many of them with William Strauss. Howe and Strauss' first book, Generations (1991), is a history of America told as a sequence of generational biographies. Vice President Al Gore called it "the most stimulating book on American history that I have ever read" and sent a copy to every member of Congress. Newt Gingrich called it "an intellectual tour de force." Of their book The Fourth Turning (1997), The Boston Globe wrote, "If Howe and Strauss are right, they will take their place among the great American prophets." Meet our team of experts Who will also provide insights to help you address opportunities and challenges ahead. Reggie Mlangeni Head: Sales and Structuring, Absa CIB Chris Paizis Head: Client Foreign Exchange and International Banking, Absa CIB Opy Ramaremisa Head: Client Solutions Group – SA Corporates, Absa CIB Jeff Gable Chief Economist and Head: FIC Research, Absa CIB Diteboho Khumalo Head: FIC and FX Institutional Coverage, Absa CIB Ryan Hill Head: Fundamental Sales, Absa CIB Agenda 13:00 – 13:10: Welcome & Opening Remarks Opy Ramaremisa, Head of Client Solutions Group – SA Corporates, Absa CIB 13:10 – 13:50: Fireside Chat: Weaponisation of Trade as a Prelude to Weaponising Capital Speaker: Ian Harnett, Co-founder & Chief Investment Advisor, Absolute Strategy Research Moderator: Jeff Gable, Chief Economist and Head: FIC Research, Absa CIB 13:50 – 14:30: What This Means for South Africa Speakers: Miyelani Maluleke, Senior Macroeconomist, Absa CIB & Mike Keenan, Head of Fixed Income and Currency Research, Absa CIB Moderator: Chris Paizis, Managing Director and Head of Client Foreign Exchange, Absa CIB 14:30 – 15:10: Fireside Chat: Where are the investment opportunities on the continent? Speaker: Vimal Shah, Chairman of Bidco Africa Moderator: Reggie Mlangeni, Head of Sales and Structuring, Absa CIB 15:10 – 15:20: Comfort Break 15:20 – 16:00: Fireside Chat: America’s next rendezvous with destiny Speaker: Neil Howe, Historian, Economist and Demographer Moderator: Ryan Hill, Head of Fundamental Equity Sales, Absa CIB 16:00 – 16:50: Panel Q&A and Open-floor discussion with all speakers. Moderator: Lerato Mbele, Broadcaster, Journalist and Moderator 16:55 – 17:00: Closing Remarks Bohani Hlungwane,, Interim Managing Executive: Transactional Banking, Absa CIB Download a copy of the agenda here Absa Macro and Risk Management Conference 2025 - Agenda Download Agenda Click here to join the live event on LinkedIn: Watch live event Related Articles Unlocking your potential with insight and sustainable solutions. 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