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Because “standard treasury” is starting to look very outdated in these markets.

Why Treasury Hiring Managers Keep Picking the Netherlands and Missing Japan