Rwanda’s monetary authorities stood out from their east African peers in 2011 for managing to withstand the severe inflationary pressures buffeting the region. Claver Gatete, governor of the National Bank of Rwanda, explains how this was done and what the country's government is doing to lure more foreign direct investment.

Morocco wants to establish Casablanca as a financial hub not only for investment into the rest of north Africa, but countries south of the Sahara too. So far, it has made good progress and is pulling ahead of its regional rivals. 

A combination of policy intervention in emerging markets and high residual risks in developed markets means volatility in emerging market currencies looks set to continue.

Nigeria’s capital markets have yet to recover fully after crashing in 2008. But thanks to extensive reforms by its regulators and a strengthening of investor sentiment amid rapid economic growth, the country's stock exchange is expected to take off in the next few years, and some bankers think its capitalisation can reach $1000bn by as soon as 2016.

Kenya’s banks have been quick to move into newly independent South Sudan. Although the country is one of the world’s poorest and its infrastructure dire, the opportunities for banking over the next decade are immense, many Kenyan bankers believe, and their efforts are already paying off. 

The next 12 months will be crucial for Kenya as it holds its first elections since its tumultuous 2007 polls. It will also try to recover quickly from last year’s spike in inflation, which sent interest rates soaring. Nonetheless, the country's economy remains strong and many are optimistic Kenya can reach middle-income status by 2030. 

Côte d’Ivoire’s economy was battered by the near civil war that broke out following elections in late 2010. The new government has made a good start in trying to repair the damage, but its finance minister knows it has more to do to regain the trust of foreign investors. 

The general manager of Libya's stock market says the recently reopened exchange will help to quicken the country's recovery from its revolution last year by reigniting its privatisation process.

As Libya emerges from 42 years of state domination under former leader Muammar Gaddafi and an eight-month civil war, the country’s banking sector faces opportunities and challenges in almost equal measure. 

Ecobank's CEO Arnold Ekpe explains how the bank upgraded and centralised its core system across operations in 32 countries, boosting efficiency and saving money along the way.