The fifth edition of the Finance in Common Summit (FiCS) concluded in Cape Town, South Africa, on February 28 with strong calls for global development finance institutions to collaborate in tackling poverty and development challenges. The summit, which brings together all Public Development Banks and its partners, was co-sponsored by the African Development Bank and took place alongside the G20 Finance Ministers' Meeting. South African Finance Minister Enoch Godongwana led the summit under the theme "Fostering Infrastructure and Finance for Fair and Sustainable Growth."

Godongwana described the meeting as an unprecedented gathering of key financial players: "Your determination and commitment will change the world. Your determination will have an impact on global poverty.” He connected the summit’s objectives to South Africa’s development path, highlighting the recent structural reforms the country has undertaken in the electricity, roads, and port sectors, which have opened new investment opportunities to development partners.

Energy access and sustainable finance played a central role at the 2025 FiSC, where two roundtable discussions addressed critical financing gaps and highlighted pathways to achieving universal energy access in Africa. During the discussions, the African Development Bank delegation highlighted the progress of Mission 300, an initiative to accelerate access to electricity for 300 million Africans by 2030. The Bank, working with the World Bank and other development finance institutions and private sector partners, has committed $18.2 billion to this effort. 

Another major discussion, "Opportunities & Legacy of Major Sporting Events", explored the role of sports as a driver for infrastructure development rather than just a business. Solomon Quaynor, Vice President of the African Development Bank, emphasized the potential of sports infrastructure to drive sustainable development through multipurpose use and public-private partnerships for broader economic impact. 

The session "Private Sector Mobilization for Sustainable Infrastructure" discussed the need for a shift toward a more systematic approach to attracting private sector investment. Partners addressed key challenges, including sovereign risk, policy frameworks and high project preparation costs. The discussion concluded with a strong call for greater integration among development finance institutions to enhance efficiency and collaboration.

The summit also achieved several other significant breakthroughs in development financing. Key outcomes included the endorsement by G20 finance ministers of public development banks' crucial role in international financial architecture and the formation of a coalition between public development banks and civil society to ensure that development finance serves communities.

Partners expressed overall satisfaction with the outcomes of the 2025 FiSC. CEO of Agence Française de Développement Rémy Rioux shared: "We have made tremendous progress in building public development banks as an asset class through innovation, commitment, and shared values. In times of uncertainty and conflict, we are offering a calm, collective alternative." Boitumelo Mosako, CEO of the Development Bank of Southern Africa, said: "This has truly been an African FiCS. With 34% of delegates coming from the continent, we have shown that Africa is unstoppable as the second fastest growing region in the world."

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