The conference chairman Rt Hon. Lord Norman Lamont of Lerwick will preside over a session lead by Razia Khan, Head of Economic for Africa at Standard Chartered Bank.

As background, according to the IMF, the rate of economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa remains strong. Oil producing countries in particular experience in excess of 5% growth in GDP with inflation largely under control. With other countries experiencing an average of 4.5% there is scope to see development and with it an active migration market sending remittances home.

Ms Khan is an acknowledged expert on African economies and will set the payments market into the wider context. As well as advising key multinational corporations and funds with an interest in Europe, the US and increasingly Asia, she also travels to Africa on a regular basis. Her expertise is such that she is frequently called on to provide analysis on African markets on BBC, CNN. CNBC as well as the BBC World Service. She also provides regular African updates to institutions such as the US Treasury, the New York Fed, the African Development Bank and a range of African Central Banks.

Says IAMTN CEO Lady Olga Maitland, "We are well aware of the growth dynamics in the African continent. In many ways it leads in terms of systems using the latest technology including mobile payments - in effect leaping a generation of traditional methods."