Future trends and financial services - by Dr Patrick Dixon for Absa / Barclays Bank

Future trends and financial services - for Absa / Barclays Bank

Fascinating audience in a two day leadership seminar for Barclays Bank / Absa Bank - senior leaders from across sub-Saharan Africa. Day 1: Issues facing banking and African business development. Socio-demographic, political, technology and other factors including sustainable business development. Scenario creation - and using scenarios to test strategic assumptions.

My wife and I travel in the region with ACET - our AIDS foundation, and have seen major changes, but not as many as those in the seminar.

The fact is that despite AIDS and many other challenges, the number of conflicts in Africa is low right now and a number of countries are showing rapid economic growth such as Uganda and Tanzania.

In the meantime S Africa's days of gold mining are drawing to a close with mines now up to 4.5 miles deep. But techniques for extracting more gold from old mining waste will keep the industry going for a while.