Ranked first in Africa and 49th globally, Casablanca Finance City supports the continent’s economic transformation. Through its structured ecosystem, bringing together more than 250 companies in over 50 countries, Casablanca Finance City, with nearly one billion dirhams in tax revenue, has established itself as a major driver of regional and international financing and investment.
Casablanca Finance City has established itself as a strategic platform connecting international capital and African markets. Launched in 2010, it now comprises 250 companies operating in some 50 countries. Structured around the Casablanca Finance City Authority (CFCA), notably headed by Saïd Ibrahimi, the institution organizes the ecosystem between banks, multinationals, and consulting firms focused on Africa. According to the latest Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI), CFC is ranked the leading financial center in Africa and around 49th globally, confirming its status as an emerging hub on an international scale.
“Casablanca Finance City is a government initiative launched in 2010 by the Moroccan authorities, aiming to make Casablanca an economic and financial hub dedicated to Africa.” We have been ranked the leading African financial center for over six years by the Global Financial Centers Index (GFCI), the index that ranks financial centers worldwide. Today, our objective is twofold: to attract international investors and direct them to the continent, and to establish a dedicated ecosystem with a favorable framework and conditions that will encourage companies to choose Casablanca as a hub for the continent.
Lamia Merzouki, Deputy Managing Director of Casablanca Finance City – Morocco
At the heart of its operations, Casablanca Finance City plays a central role in financing African development. It notably hosts the Africa50 fund, created by the African Development Bank to accelerate infrastructure development across the continent. This fund has already mobilized several billion dollars and is involved in structuring and managing over $20 billion in projects and investments across the continent, particularly in the energy, transportation, and telecommunications sectors. The Casablanca Finance City ecosystem also generates a significant economic impact, with approximately 6,500 to 7,000 direct and indirect jobs, and estimated tax revenues of between 900 million and nearly one billion dirhams (approximately one billion dirhams in tax revenue). It simultaneously supports the expansion of Moroccan companies in Africa, in a context where the Kingdom’s investments on the continent have increased from approximately $100 million in 2014 to nearly $2.8 billion in 2024 ($2.8 billion invested in 2024), illustrating sustained growth momentum.
“Indeed, we have the honor of hosting the Africa50 fund in Casablanca. This fund was launched by the AfDB, the African Development Bank, and its objective is to develop and even accelerate infrastructure development in Africa. So, in general, to build this legal, regulatory, and even fiscal framework to attract these international companies, and of course, pan-African companies, we tried to understand what was important to these investors and companies. What’s important is to move quickly, reduce costs, generate business, and attract the best talent. And that’s what Casablanca Finance City offers today.”
Lamia Merzouki, Deputy Managing Director of Casablanca Finance City – Morocco
Among the projects supported are energy programs, transport corridors, and digital infrastructure in countries like Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Kenya. Africa50 now has more than 30 African public and institutional shareholders, illustrating a pan-African financing approach. Companies located within CFC also represent up to 17% of Moroccan investments in Africa, confirming its role as a platform for regional economic expansion.
“Indeed, Africa is a fragmented continent with different legal and regulatory frameworks and small economies. Consequently, the critical path for investors is very complicated. Therefore, we have developed what we call South-South partnerships, which is essentially Casa Finance City’s African cooperation arm. We have signed agreements with around twenty African countries, specifically with investment and promotion agencies, the agencies that promote African investment.” And the objective of these partnerships is to highlight the opportunities that exist in different African countries, but also to facilitate the critical path for investors.
Lamia Merzouki, Deputy Managing Director of Casablanca Finance City – Morocco
Beyond financing, Casablanca Finance City acts as a true facilitator for business establishment.
