The South Africa financial sector is by far the most significant contributor to the country’s overall ranking, with the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) and the banking industry consistently ranked in the top three and top six in the world. South Africa is unofficially a financial centre for the African continent and in the State of the Nation Address on 11 February 2016 the president announced that the Banking Association South Africa (BASA) would inaugurate a centre of excellence for financial services and leadership training. The board of BASA approved the establishment of a centre at their annual general meeting, and a non-profit organisation was registered on 23 December 2016 – proudly named Centre of Excellence in Financial Services (COEFS). Our vision is to bring together thought leaders, both local and international, to interrogate the role financial services can play in achieving national and international objectives, in collaboration with industry experts and academics. Our mission is to identify friction points in the financial services sector and initiate appropriate research to engage policy makers, regulators and industry participants by initiating broader public dialogue through credible thought leadership.