Established in December 2010, the African Accounting and Finance Association (AAFA), provides a platform for academics and practitioners to debate the role of accounting, finance, auditing, corporate governance, and related fields in Africa. Given the well-established links between accounting and sustainable development, AAFA is at the forefront of efforts in bringing resources and opportunities for the capacity building of African academics and students in the areas of research and education. In so doing, AAFA’s overall aim is to contribute to SDG actualisation in Africa (specifically SDG 9.5) on enhancing scientific research capabilities and the number of active researchers and hence fostering innovation in developing countries. The association is a voluntary non-profit group bringing together academics, graduate students and practitioners from Africa interested in accounting and finance education and research.

AAFA has been able to develop academic and collaboration links with various organisations and associations contributing to knowledge sharing and capacity building in the fields of accounting, finance, auditing, corporate governance, and related fields in Africa.

AAFA continuously collaborates with highly ranked international journals to call for special issues and thereby improve the visibility of African based academic and related research findings. Many conference articles have also been published in peer reviewed international outlets such as Research in Accounting in Emerging Economies, Journal of Accounting in Emerging Economies and Critical Perspectives on Accounting.

To further promote African-based research and publication, AAFA has published the African Accounting and Finance Journal since 2017.

The association draws its membership and representatives, and hosts its conferences, across both Anglo- and Franco-phone African countries. The last three conferences (Senegal, Tanzania and Virtual 2021) included French-speaking sessions and plenary sessions, as well as translations facilities to support interactions between Francophone and Anglophone academics.