Ghana will lead discussions on the tokenisation of assets such as gold, real estate, cocoa and bonds at the Africa Virtual Asset Summit (AVAS 2026) in Accra, as regulators and industry players explore how digital technology could create new investment opportunities across the continent.

The summit, scheduled for November 2-3 at the Kempinski Hotel Gold Coast City, will bring together regulators, policymakers, financial institutions, investors and technology companies to discuss the development and regulation of virtual assets in Africa.

Organised by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Ghana, the summit will be held under the theme, “Tokenisation: Africa’s Pathway Towards Building a Trusted, Inclusive and Innovative Virtual Asset Ecosystem.”

Tokenisation involves creating digital representations of physical or financial assets on a digital platform, potentially making them easier to transfer, trade and divide into smaller investment units.

The process could open up new ways for investors to access assets such as gold, property and bonds, while helping businesses explore alternative sources of financing. Trade receivables and cocoa are also among the assets that could be explored for tokenisation.

Ghana has already begun exploring potential applications through its regulatory sandbox, including projects involving gold and Treasury bills. The sandbox allows selected innovations to be tested within a controlled regulatory environment.

A key issue at the summit will be how African countries can establish appropriate regulatory frameworks to support tokenisation while addressing risks relating to investor protection, transparency, financial stability and security.

Participants are also expected to discuss cross-border regulatory cooperation and ways to attract investment into digital asset markets.

The summit is expected to produce a proposed Accra Declaration outlining principles and recommendations to guide the responsible development of tokenisation and virtual assets across Africa.

Announced keynote speakers include Finance Minister Cassiel Ato Forson, Bank of Ghana Governor Johnson Pandit Asiama, SEC Director-General James Klutse Avedzi, Chief of Staff Julius Debrah, and Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations Samuel Nartey George.

The discussions come as African countries explore digital financial technologies to widen access to investment, mobilise capital and develop their financial markets.