African banks are increasingly looking outside of their domestic markets, and many of the continent's biggest lenders are now active in multiple countries, buoyed by greater access to vast unbanked populations and a more stable political environment.

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.

New-found political stability is setting the stage for global investor interest in many African countries, and Standard Bank's debt capital markets team is leading the way. Writer Edward Russell-Walling

Retail banking in South Africa has emerged relatively unscathed from the global recession. Bankers are now taking advantage of the upturn, the confidence generated by the forthcoming World Cup hosted in the country and the largely untapped potential presented by the under-banked and unbanked population. Writer Michael Imeson

Pravin Gordhan, South Africa's minister of finance

South Africa's finance minister talks about the steps taken to steer his country towards economic recovery.

Five decades of neglect left Africa's agricultural sector in a parlous state, but last year's food crisis galvanised global opinion that something must be done - and soon - to transform the continent's vast potential into reality. Financing small farmers is the first step. Writer Charlie Corbett

South Africa's banking sector has so far proved resilient to the country's worst recession in 17 years, but faced with soaring unemployment and high levels of consumer debt, the biggest challenges lie ahead. Writer Charlie Corbett in Johannesburg and Cape Town