8. Islamic Finance in Africa: Challenges Ahead

The challenges facing the growth of Islamic finance in Africa are manifold. Some of these challenges are related to the sustainability of the present economic growth; thus, any investment—whether Islamic or otherwise—is attracted by economic realities on the ground. The second type of challenges is related to the outstanding issues in Islamic finance itself and that would continue to be present in the African context as well. The last category will be those peculiar problems that need to be addressed in the implementation of Islamic finance in the African environment. While addressing the issue of exceptional economic growth in Africa and the prospect of Islamic finance, we should keep in mind that one of the key challenges that might affect any attempt to attract Islamic finance investment to develop the continent’s vast resources, its infrastructure, agriculture, and to meet the demands of a fast growing consumer sector, particularly their demands for inclusive financial services, is the issue of perception with its far-reaching implications.