Africa & Middle East Treasury Summit (Reality check)

Just got back from the EuroFinance Treasury & Cash Management Summit Africa & Middle East.

A lot was said, but here’s what actually matters. No fluff, just reality:

1. Africa = growth… with a warning label

Everyone agrees: Africa is a growth market.

But treasury there? It’s a different sport.

Your setup depends on:

So if your strategy is built in Excel in Europe and copy paste it into Africa… good luck with that.

2. Middle East: strong buffers, but not bulletproof

The region is holding up better than expected.

But let’s not pretend nothing is happening.

There will be a medium-term impact from geopolitical tensions.

Buffers buy time. They don’t remove reality.

3. Resilience is not a buzzword here

In Europe, resilience is something you put in a slide deck.

In Africa and parts of the Middle East, it’s survival.

Treasurers are:

Some solutions were conservative, others were… let’s call it “creative under pressure”.

That’s where the interesting stuff happens.

4. Stablecoins: from hype to actual use cases

Still, the good old early, messy, and misunderstood

But also… already useful.

We’re seeing real applications like:

At Pecunia, we’ve already supported clients on this. Not theory, actual execution.

Ignore it if you want, just don’t be surprised later…

5. The most underrated takeaway: people

You can automate a lot in treasury, but not trust.

Met a lot of familiar names, and finally met several “Teams/Zoom people” in real life.

Still, the fastest way to learn something useful is a proper conversation, not another whitepaper.

Before you scroll away to your next meeting:

If you’re dealing with:

No sales pitch, but a proper discussion on what actually works and what doesn’t.

Because “standard treasury” is starting to look very outdated in these markets.

DACT Treasury Fair 2026: What I Took Away