Lord Mayor of London Peter Estlin heads to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Nairobi this week (Monday 14^th October to Friday 18^th October), where he will speak to infrastructure investment partners about the high calibre of the UK’s unique offer in green and sustainable finance.

The agenda in South Africa will include meetings with Investec and the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, while in Nairobi he will have a bilateral with the Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya.

The UK Government is seeking to become Africa’s biggest G7 investor, and the Lord Mayor’s visit will seek to raise engagement with two of the continent’s biggest economies ahead of the UK-Africa Investment Summit in January.

The London Stock Exchange hosts nearly 500 infrastructure companies as well as 114 African companies – more than any other international exchange. The launch of the UK Green Finance Institute and the UK’s hosting of COP 26 underscore the quality of London’s green finance offer, recently ranked once again as the world’s best by Z/Yen.

Accompanied by a delegation of some of the UK’s best organisations working across infrastructure, green finance and fintech, the visit promises to consolidate the UK’s commitment towards a partnership based upon mutual prosperity, financial inclusion and sustainability.

The UK recently supported the successful launch of Kenya’s first green bond, on 3 October. The bond raised the equivalent of £35 million, in Kenyan Shillings, to finance new, affordable and environmentally-friendly housing for 5,000 Kenyans.

Peter Estlin, Lord Mayor of London said:

“I’m delighted to be heading to South Africa and Kenya, just two of the many economies across Africa with huge potential.

“I want the UK to take the opportunity to become Africa’s investment partner of preference, given the unparalleled quality of our expertise in green finance, infrastructure and fintech – exemplified by the business delegation accompanying me for this visit. With the UK-Africa Investment Summit only a few months away this visit comes at an exciting time, as we look towards building an economic relationship that prioritises mutual prosperity and sustainability.

“By forging partnerships across Africa, the UK’s financial services sector can turbocharge national economies and empower individuals financially, creating thousands of jobs and enriching lives across the continent.”

The Lord Mayor’s accompanying business delegation:

• Arup
• Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance
• Bibimoney
• FSD Africa
• Banking Circle
• Octopus
• Investec
• Standard Chartered
• Banking Circle

Notes to editors

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