Global FinTech Leaders Converge in Kigali as Inclusive FinTech Forum 2026 Opens with Bold Vision for Africa’s Digital Finance Future

Global FinTech Leaders Converge in Kigali as Inclusive FinTech Forum
2026 Opens with Bold Vision for Africa’s Digital Finance Future

The Inclusive FinTech Forum (IFF) 2026 officially kicked off on 10 March 2026 at the Kigali
Convention Centre in Kigali, Rwanda, bringing together more than 3,500 decision-makers from
87 countries for high-level discussions focused on building inclusive, resilient, and sustainable
financial systems across Africa and other emerging markets.

Hosted by the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC), the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR),
and the Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN), the forum has emerged as a global
platform where policymakers, regulators, fintech innovators, investors, and development
partners collaborate to accelerate financial inclusion and digital transformation.

This year’s gathering reflects the scale and growing influence of the platform. Participants
include 217 government institutions and multilateral organisations, 30 central banks, 413
fintech companies, and 97 investment firms, engaging across eight thematic platforms. The
programme features over 260 speakers, with 36% female representation, highlighting
increasing diversity and leadership within the global fintech ecosystem.

Notable Key highlights
A keynote address by Joseph Nsengimana, Minister of Education of Rwanda, underscored the
strategic importance of talent development in building Africa’s digital economy. He framed
human capital as the foundation for innovation, financial inclusion, and regional integration.
“Fintech thrives when startups, industry leaders, investors, policymakers and academia
collaborate,” he noted, highlighting the importance of education and skills development in
supporting Africa’s rapidly growing digital finance ecosystem.

Big Announcements
1. One of the key highlights of the Inclusive FinTech Forum (IFF) 2026 was the launch of the
Open API platform by Bank of Kigali during a dedicated session titled “Opening the Bank:
Bank of Kigali’s Journey to Building an Open Finance Ecosystem.”
The session showcased how the bank is advancing digital transformation by enabling fintech
companies and ecosystem partners to integrate directly with its banking infrastructure
through open banking technology. By opening its systems through APIs, Bank of Kigali is
creating opportunities for innovators to build new financial products and services that extend
beyond traditional banking, helping to accelerate the growth of Rwanda’s digital financial
ecosystem.
Bank leadership and ecosystem partners shared insights into the strategic vision behind the
platform and how open finance can support greater collaboration between banks, fintech
startups, and technology providers. A live use case was also presented through FIXA, the first
client to integrate with the BK Open API platform, demonstrating how fintech partners can
leverage the infrastructure to deliver seamless payment solutions.

The initiative highlights Bank of Kigali’s role in supporting fintech innovation and
strengthening Rwanda’s open finance ecosystem by providing the infrastructure needed for
collaboration, innovation, and scalable digital financial services.

2. Another key milestone was the launch of the Level Up Series by the African Business
Angel Network (ABAN). The initiative introduces a new continental platform designed to
connect angel investors, policymakers, and startup ecosystems to translate policy dialogue
into capital for African innovation and strengthen early-stage financing across the continent.

3. The first day also featured a high-level breakfast session titled “The Future of Finance: AI,
Digital Assets and Sovereign Payment Rails.” The session included insights from James
Mwangi, Managing Director and CEO of Equity Group Holdings Plc, and Hannington Namara,
Managing Director of Equity Bank Rwanda, who explored how emerging technologies and
digital infrastructure are shaping the next phase of financial innovation across Africa.

4. A side event held at Kigali Golf Resorts and Villas, Rwanda. The Family Office Symposium
is an inaugural high-level gathering convened by Raffles Family Office in partnership with
the Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC). The event brought together global family
office leaders, African investors, policymakers, and financial institutions to explore the
evolving landscape of modern wealth management.

Held under the theme “Future. Now.”, the symposium aims to foster dialogue and knowledge
exchange on building resilient family office structures that can support long-term wealth
creation and intergenerational prosperity.

As wealth creation accelerates across Africa, family offices are emerging as critical vehicles for
managing capital, preserving legacy, and driving strategic investments. The symposium
provided a platform for African investors and policymakers to engage with global expertise,
particularly from Asia, on best practices for structuring family offices that support both
wealth preservation and economic growth.

Special Quotes
Session title: Africa's Talent Tide: Aligning Education, Industry and Government to Drive
Upskilling
Speaker: Prof Ogechi Adeola, Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) of the University of Kigali,
Rwanda
Quote: "We are not treating human capital as infrastructure today. We need to harness the
talent through collaboration between the government, academia, and industry. "
Session title: Fireside Chat: Building Global Teams in Africa
Speaker: David Nandwa, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, HoneyCoin
Quote: “When you are a startup, you can afford to have people who will learn on the job, who
will grow. When you're at scale, you will need domain experts.”
Session - Keynote Address: Trade, Trust, and Transformation in a Borderless Digital
Economy

Keynote speaker: Hon. Prudence Sebahizi, Minister of Trade & Industry, Republic of Rwanda
Quote: “The question is not whether the technology is sophisticated; the question is whether it
makes trade cheaper, faster, more inclusive, and more resilient. At the same time, we must
remain mindful of emerging risks.”

Session: Winning the War for Talent: Private Sector Recruitment Strategies in Africa
Speaker: Hilda Moraa, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Pezesha
Quote: “Culture starts with the foundation. If we have the right team and the right structure, we
can assess people not just by what they say, but by how they think, how they work, and how they
respond when things are not working.”

Session: Winning the War for Talent: Private Sector Recruitment Strategies in Africa
Speaker: Frank Anwelle, Country Manager, Ghana, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, Payaza Africa
Quote: “Organizations are no longer competing on products and services. They are competing on talent, and the talent that matters most is talent that brings integrity to the table.”

MEDIA INQUIRIES CONTACTS
Dumisani Ngwaila
Senior Communications Consultant, Africa Communications Media Group
dumisanin@africacommunicationsgroup.com

+27 79 853 0678
or
Joie-Grâce Ruzibiza
Communications Manager, Kigali International Financial Centre
joie.ruzibiza@rfl.rw

About the Inclusive FinTech Forum
The Forum is a unique collaboration between Kigali International Financial Centre (KIFC), Rwanda’s financial centre facilitating international investment and cross-border transactions in Africa, the National Bank of Rwanda; Rwanda's Central Bank, and Global Finance & Technology Network, a company set up by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) to advance fintech in the digital
economy.