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.

Kofi Annan, chair of the Africa Progress Panel and former secretary-general of the UN

Without support from the international community, the economic crisis will cause Africa to fall further behind the developed world and plunge millions into poverty.

As banking leaders prepare to convene in Istanbul, we hear from key players entrenched in the effort to help the world's economy stay out of trouble.

Ian Ball, CEO, IFAC

In turbulent times, a clear perspective of the challenges facing businesses is more important than ever. IFAC/The Banker's survey of small business lending offers market intelligence for lenders, accountants and SME owners alike. By Ian Ball, CEO of the International Federation of Accountants.

Standard Chartered is drastically expanding its renminbi offerings.

Standard bank has gained approval from regulators for its foray into Russia.

Getting tough: Nigeria central bank governor Lamido Sanusi

The Nigerian central bank last month injected $2.6bn into five of the country's biggest banks and sacked their chief executives.

Ian Hurst, general manager for the global financial services sector, IBM

Technology can only go so far in helping to explain and predict global systemic risk. However, financial services firms must still be able to adapt to the changing environment and their customers' demands.