Programme

The rapid pace of technological innovation and adoption has resulted in increased regulatory and policy considerations, which in turn has investors seeking answers. The Capital Meets Policy Dialogue is a timely first-of-its-kind call for policymakers to share their strategic perspectives on FinTech regulations, including sectors of interest and concern as well as their view on emerging risks. Conversely, the Dialogue is an equal measure call for investors to share the likely direction of capital, including sectoral investment outlook, opportunities, challenges, and risks. Above all, the dialogue is an ask for both parties to share expectations more openly.

• What were the key FinTech investment trends in Rwanda, and broadly, the African continent over the past 2 years?
• How did timely policy action, if any, help drive innovation, financial inclusion, capital deployment and value creation?
• Looking ahead, what are the key sectors in Africa that investors will likely allocate capital to in 2023-2025?
• What are critical policy-making bottlenecks that should be addressed (and how) to ensure predictable capital flow, continuous innovation, and long-term value creation?

• What are key recent policy announcements that accelerated innovation and enabled capital flow into FinTech in your jurisdiction?
• What was the impact of these actions on the broader economy?
• What best practices, if any, enabled an inclusive policy making process?
• What new initiatives are being planned to ensure FinTech policy objectives are aligned with market outcomes?

• With momentum building around FinTech in Africa, how can capital providers and policy makers collaborate to attract more capital to the region?
• With the quality of first-time and repeat founders improving, what can capital providers and policy makers do to increase the overall talent pool?
• How does the region solve for regulatory fragmentation so as to facilitate faster scaling for FinTechs?
• As African financial services undergo a structural shift, do digital bank licenses hold the key to accelerating financial inclusion in Africa?
• In the next 3 years, what FinTech sectors will attract the most capital flow, and how aligned are these with policy priorities?

• What are examples (global) where value creation objectives of venture capital and financial inclusion policy objectives were achieved concurrently?
• What were the key actions taken by policy makers and capital providers in these examples?
• Can these be replicated in financial services/FinTech, and how?

This session is open to learners who have completed the Global FinTech Fundamentals programme, which gives participants an introduction to the impact of FinTech in financial services, exposes participants to the industry’s FinTech adoption roadmap, and provides them with the unique opportunity to engage with global FinTech leaders. 

At Industry Unplugged, participants will gain valuable insights into the challenges, trends, and future of the finance industry from industry experts. The session will cover: 

• Digital transformation in financial services,
• Pathway to FinTech adoption 
• Innovation and entrepreneurship
• New career pathways in finance.

The history of the financial system can be traced as far back as 2000 BCE in the ancient empires of Egypt, Assyria, India and Sumeria, where the ancient marketplace used various purchasing methods, including grain banks, barter systems and metal weights to measure value. 

The global financial system has undergone numerous transformations and disruptions since then, and has not stopped evolving. In such a rapidly evolving and dynamic industry, it is crucial to inspire the future generation of talent to pursue and advance careers in finance. 

This fireside chat brings together two influential leaders who will share their insights and experiences on building their own meaningful careers in finance and their efforts in inspiring the next generation. The discussion will highlight the importance of nurturing young professionals, the strategies to attract and retain top talent, and the role of the youth in shaping the future of finance and driving positive change.

Fintech is regarded as one of the most forward-looking sectors to emerge in the last decade. The industry has spawned a great deal of innovative business models and digitally-native challengers, as well as creating entirely new jobs.

The business case for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is stronger than ever. 

Whilst the FinTech sector is making leaps and bounds when it comes to improving diversity and inclusion, there are still a number of challenges for women in the industry. For example, 

Only 1.5% of global private fintech companies are founded solely by women and share just 1% of overall venture funding.
Around 3.2% of fintech firms in Africa are founded solely by women – double the global average of 1.6%, according to Findexable. 
Women make up only 28% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering and math 
From 2013 to 2021, less than 5% of the total $12.6 billion in funding to Africa’s tech startups went to all-female founding teams compared with 82% to all male-ones (data source: Better Bridges) 

Promoting diversity within organizations is not only the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense. 

Several studies have found women play a critical role in improving a fintech’s performance by enhancing access to customers, increasing returns, improving employee retention and enhancing innovation.

From a skills lens, while some of the challenges include societal issues such as getting more girls to take an interest in tech in school, more can be done to make the field more appealing and inclusive. 

• The impact of technology on the future of work and the latest trends and disruptions in the workplace.
• The role of AI and other emerging technologies
• The new skills in demand in the workforce.
• How students can prepare themselves for these changes and enhance their competitiveness in the job market.

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, characterized by the convergence of digital technologies and their integration into all aspects of our lives, is reshaping industries across the globe. Finance, as a cornerstone of the modern economy, is no exception. 

The integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, big data analytics, and the Internet of Things is poised to revolutionize the way we conduct financial transactions, manage risk, and interact with financial services. 

In the wake of this transformation, we can envision a future where finance is more accessible, efficient, and inclusive. This future presents new and exciting opportunities for professionals to participate in the growth and transformation of the financial services industry, especially in the emerging markets, where the effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution will have the most impact. However, in order to thrive in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we must address the mismatch between the industry's rapid progress and the skills of the workforce. 

In this session, we will explore: 

• What will be the transformative effects of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on finance, FinTech and the digital economy? 
• What is the existing mismatch between the education system and the industry’s future requirements? 
• How can students take control of their own future by enhancing their own learning and skills? 
• What are the roles of industry and education to bridge the gap to nurture a future-ready workforce?

• What specific services do IFCs offer FinTech startups in emerging markets, and how do these services help support the development of FinTec in these markets?
• What are some successful examples of IFCs promoting the development of FinTech in emerging markets, and what lessons can be learned from these examples?
• How can IFCs help address challenges such as inadequate infrastructure, talent gap, limited capital, and regulatory barriers to support the growth of FinTech in emerging markets?
• How can IFCs support the growth and scaling of successful FinTech startups in emerging markets, and what role can they play in helping these startups access global markets and expand their reach?

Can African unicorns redefine sustainability and impact, and become a new unicorn role model?

According to Juniper Research, the global fintech platform revenue is expected to reach $ 638 billion by 2024.

However, the opportunity is hindered by the challenges FinTechs face in regulatory compliance. 

From expanding digital investment products and services into another country to offering credit cards in another country, Fintechs face long frustrating processes and in many cases, do not find a regulatory environment that enables them to scale across borders. 

For FinTech companies that want to scale globally, understanding the lay of the land in each country and region is more than just a competitive edge. 

It decreases the number of mistakes, enables the right partnerships and allows an expansion that is a lot more calculated and set up for success.

This session is the start of the Forum’s Initiative, FinTech without Borders, that will promote dialogue & partnerships in the emerging markets as well as provide thought leadership to the fintech ecosystem.

Focus areas of the interactive discussion will be 

• What frameworks exist that promote collaboration?
• How do we scale collaboration?
• How do Fintech’s find a common platform to promote regulatory frameworks that support scaling?

When money gets really smart, it can do more than just create value for shareholders. It can also create positive impact for society and the planet.

In recent years, there has been a growing movement of capital providers, including institutional investors, private equity firms, and venture capitalists, who are focused on investing in companies and projects that align with their values and social impact objectives.

These capital providers with purpose are not only looking for financial returns, but also seeking to create positive social and environmental impact, driving change in industries ranging from renewable energy and sustainable agriculture to affordable housing and healthcare.

This session explores the stories of capital providers with purpose, highlighting their experiences, challenges, and successes in investing for impact. Through these stories, we seek to inspire and inform others who are interested in harnessing the power of capital for positive social and environmental change.

• How do you measure the social and environmental impact of your investments, and what metrics do you use?
• What are the biggest challenges you face in balancing financial returns with environmental, social and governance impact?
• How do you engage with your portfolio companies to ensure they are aligned with your impact goals?
• What role do you see for government and policymakers in promoting sustainable finance and impact investing?
• How do you see the field of impact investing evolving in the next 5-10 years, and what opportunities and challenges do you anticipate?

Emerging markets are an essential part of the global economy, with significant potential for growth and development. However, financing emerging markets' development has become more challenging amidst the current global financial crisis. The crisis has resulted in a sharp decline in foreign investments, reduced access to credit, and increased volatility in financial markets.

Despite the challenges, financing emerging markets' development is crucial to achieve sustainable economic growth and reduce poverty. In this context, this discussion will explore the possible ways to finance emerging markets' development amidst the current global financial crisis.

What should policy & regulation look like when in a crisis? How do we redesign frameworks to prepare for a crisis?  

Global, post pandemic financial crisis led to a series of challenges in terms of policy regulation, financial stability, financial inclusion, fuelled by the digital leapfrog and by the greater need for seamless, global, affordable and nearly real time payments. This opening panel will set the tone for the whole IFF with the policy makers point of view.

Recent breakdowns of large institutions such as SVB, the global rise of interest rates, the geo-political crisis in EU only made on one side innovation in financial services tougher to fund, and on the other side more compelling than ever the need of financial inclusion to be consistent, pervasive and global. 

The debate will focus on:-

• The status of financial inclusion globally, and how the dialogue around it has evolved post crisis 
• The role of policy makers and central banks in fostering digital inclusion
• How can technology and innovation brought by the new fintech players play a role in the financial inclusion dialogue

Scaling digital access to lending in emerging markets is critical for enabling financial inclusion and fostering economic growth. Traditional lending processes in emerging markets are often cumbersome and expensive, making it difficult for individuals and small businesses to access credit. 

FinTech companies have tapped into the unmet demand and have developed innovative solutions to tackle the problem. 

On the other hand, to scale digital access to lending in emerging markets, governments and regulators must create an enabling environment that supports innovation and encourages competition among lenders. Financial literacy programs can also be implemented to increase awareness and understanding of digital lending among the population.

In this session we will delve into digital lending in the emerging markets needs. 

(What are the unique features of lending in emerging markets? - Part of moderator scene setting)

• How are FinTech lenders scaling to meet the needs in emerging markets? 
  What are the regulatory and policy considerations for lending institutions operating in emerging markets?
• How can we democratise access to lending for low-middle income households and micro-SMEs?
• What can we learn from markets that have successfully implemented data sharing strategies that have allowed FinTechs to know their customers better and increase their product portfolio & as well as lending limits? 

Interoperability increases the value proposition of payments by increasing customer convenience. In the absence of interoperability, customers must go through complicated and costly work-arounds when transacting with users of different service providers. 

Developing interoperable payment systems is a complex and often contentious process. A system that is successful in one market might not work in a different one—and vice versa.

To promote payment system interoperability as a digital public good, various initiatives have been launched, including the United Nations-led Digital Public Goods Alliance. These initiatives have aimed to bring together private sector companies, governments, and non-profits to develop and promote interoperable payment solutions that are open and accessible to all.

Challenges remain hindering the adoption of payment interoperability in emerging markets

• How do we implement clear and fair governance models that balance cooperation with competition among providers? 
• What economic arrangements are necessary to incentivise all stakeholders to fully participate? 
• What operational model & infrastructure is required to safely and reliably connect providers?

In emerging markets, where traditional lending institutions may be inaccessible or unaffordable for many, digital lending platforms are filling the gap. To meet this growing demand, these platforms are exploring new approaches to funding, pricing, and data models.

With access to large amounts of data, these platforms can generate risk assessments and personalise loan offers for individual borrowers. This approach makes lending more affordable for lower-risk borrowers, while also allowing lenders to earn a return on loans to higher-risk borrowers.

Data models are also crucial in expanding digital lending in emerging markets. Traditional credit scoring methods may not be applicable in regions where credit histories are limited. 

In response, digital lenders are leveraging alternative data sources, like mobile phone usage and social media data, to assess creditworthiness. By tapping into these data sources, lenders can make more informed loan decisions and provide access to credit to a broader range of borrowers.

This panel discussion aims at exploring the state of digital lending in emerging markets, discussing the opportunities and challenges presented by the adoption of digital technology in the lending landscape and the emerging partnerships to provide more seamless and integrated experiences to SMEs and consumers. The panel will focus on the innovative approaches that industry leaders are taking to scale digital lending services in emerging economies. 

Regional integration and FinTech are two important topics that are gaining increasing attention in today's global economy. The integration of financial services within a regional bloc can be facilitated by the use of FinTech. FinTech can help to improve the efficiency, speed, and cost-effectiveness of financial transactions within the region. This, in turn, can help to boost economic growth by enabling businesses to expand more easily across borders and facilitating trade and investment flows.

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) went into effect in May 2019. The trade agreement has the potential to create a single African market, largely free of tariffs, which will open up cross-border trade to an unprecedented extent. Eventually, free movement of people across borders and a single currency could be possible.

Africa’s workforce is forecast to grow by more than 450 million people by 2035. To accommodate that growth, the market will need to create around 20 million new jobs per year. The free trade area should help in that regard, as will technological innovation and continued foreign investment.

Africa’s burgeoning FinTech sector will likely see several tailwinds resulting from universal ratification of the AfCFTA, including growth in interregional switching, easier cross-border payments and commerce, regulatory commonalities and more.

Africa’s most populous countries and largest economies, initially abstained from signing the agreement, citing a need to consult further with domestic stakeholders. Those that eventually signed have of recent experienced trade disputes thus calling into question their commitment to the agreement. The agreement’s ultimate impact would likely be muted if larger economies are not fully committed.

This session will engage leaders on an ‘all of Africa’ approach on creating harmonized and unified polices, building bridges, encouraging movement of skills & services across borders and more,  to ensure all African’s gain the opportunity to advance their socioeconomic wellbeing by harnessing FinTech for Good. 

• What are the most significant benefits that regional integration and FinTech can bring to emerging markets?
• How can policymakers and development partners address the challenges pf limited infrastructure and regulatory barriers to promote the adoption of FinTech in regional integration initiatives?
• How can regional integration initiatives be structured to ensure that FinTech solutions are inclusive and accessible to all, particularly underserved populations such as women and rural communities?
• How can FinTech solutions contribute to promoting SDGs in emerging markets, such as poverty reduction and environmental sustainability?

Technological innovation tends to outpace regulatory change.    

Some countries have strong enabling regulations for fintech and digital financial services

Some markets have focused on regulation on curbing risks in consumer and data protection and operational resilience but rather less on strengthening prudential safeguards. Others simply lack the necessary regulatory infrastructure.

Fintech developments present issues that are beyond the traditional scope of financial authorities, and the speed of innovation makes it difficult for regulators to respond in a timely manner. 

FinTech is an entrenched priority for the financial sector, and a multitude of strategies have emerged to address the challenges of digitization. 

• How do we share expertise & knowledge to promote FinTech for Good?
• How do we enable cross-border expansion of FinTech by re-designing licensing frameworks? 
• How do we design multi-sector sandboxes to promote innovation & collaboration?  

Hosted by Momo MTN

Unlocking the Synergistic Potential: Exploring the Transformative Landscape and Lucrative Opportunities through Collaborative Partnerships between Fintech Companies and Payment Processors, Fuelled by Innovation and Co-creation.

Hosted by NPCI

The Speakers will delve into the moment when India chose to revamp its key market infrastructure, paving the way for a futuristic payment system and empowering innovations for its citizens as one of the primary foundations of this new payment ecosystem. The Unified Payments Interface (UPI), introduced in 2016 by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), has experienced remarkable growth and triumph, now boasting over 9 billion transactions per month. The audience can look forward to an insightful update on the platform's structure and functionality.

Hosted by Tyme

When South Africa’s Social Security Agency (SASSA) opened up its social grant accounts payments system to all providers in open competition, TymeBank, South Africa’s first digital bank which offers the most cost effective account in South Africa was able to rapidly expand access to over a million SASSA grant recipients and serve these customers well and profitably, enabling greater access to financial products and services for SASSA grant recipients. TymeBank is not just a payment option for SASSA grants but a mechanism for the grant recipients to have access to a broad range of affordable, accessible financial products.  This model is an excellent example of how policy developments can open up new segments for commercial banks, and Tyme is showing its counterparts across emerging markets how to serve social grant recipients profitably. 

Hosted by CFTE

Are you prepared for the digital revolution in financial services? Fintech revenues could reach $30 billion by 2025 in Africa, making digital finance a significant part of financial services and representing strong opportunities for the nations in the continent. This workshop is designed to equip you with the skills and knowledge needed to build a digital-ready workforce for the future.

Led by CFTE's co-founder Tram Anh Nguyen, the first part of the workshop will present a skills framework for growth and upskilling in the digital age. Then, an interactive activity will open the debate among participants around the best practices in digital skills. Finally, our expert panel will showcase recent case studies on building a workforce of tomorrow. Discover how industry leaders are aligning stakeholders from the public and private sectors to prepare talent and upskill the workforce, fueling growth for professionals, organisations, and entire countries.

Hosted by ZEP-RE

This workshop session focuses on insurance inclusivity and the challenges faced by underserved populations. By adopting an ecosystem approach that leverages digital technologies, data analytics, and customer-centric design, we explore the potential benefits and features of enhancing insurance inclusivity. The role of Insurtech ecosystems in enabling this transformational approach is examined, along with the associated risks and challenges. Through case studies like the DRIVE project in the Horn of Africa and the use of technology for financial inclusivity, we showcase practical implementations. The workshop emphasizes the importance of collaboration and co-creation to drive inclusive insurance ecosystems and create a more accessible and equitable insurance landscape for all.

Hosted by ZEP-RE

Automation in banking services delivers superior customer experiences. Over the years, it has evolved to take up different banking functions, including 

1. assisting users with questions regarding their account balances or application processes,

2. helping them transfer funds and pay bills,

3. or even updating their profile information.

Gupshup's Conversational AI (for lending and mortgage) is upgrading financial services by building easy-to-use and long-lasting communication channels. On one hand, Gupshup's conversational AI helps borrowers obtain loans easily and quickly. On the other hand, lenders can sanction more reliable loans faster and follow up on debt recovery without human intervention.

With the advent of digital technologies, such as mobile banking apps, online payment solutions, and blockchain-based platforms, individuals and businesses in underserved or unbanked regions can now access a wide range of financial services.

However, there are still significant challenges to overcome before the full benefits of these new technologies can be harnessed. For example, many individuals lack the necessary digital skills and infrastructure to access these services, and concerns around data privacy and security continue to pose a significant barrier to adoption.

Despite these challenges, the potential of technology to increase financial inclusion is clear, and there is a growing focus on collaboration between governments, financial institutions, and fintech companies to achieve this goal. As such, the future looks bright for the use of technology to drive financial inclusion, and it is likely that we will continue to see significant progress in this area in the coming years.

Focus area of discussion in this session will be:-

• The current state of financial inclusion in developing countries
• The role of technology in enabling financial inclusion
• The challenges and opportunities of using technology to achieve financial inclusion goals
• Best practices and case studies in leveraging technology for financial inclusion

This panel will focus on exploring a demand-led retail finance strategy for serving the underserved segments of the population, The session will discuss opportunities and challenges associated with this approach, which prioritises meeting the needs of customers in lower-income segments through tailored financial products and services.

The panelists will examine innovative retail finance models, including microfinance, innovative micro-wealth and pension product designs, which can help individuals build savings, protect against financial shocks, and plan for long-term financial security.

The discussion will highlight the importance of customer-centricity and tailoring products to meet the needs and preferences of underserved segments. The panelists will also examine the role of technology and data analytics in designing and delivering effective micro-wealth and pension products at scale.

The panelists will address the regulatory challenges and opportunities associated with this approach, including consumer protection, financial literacy, and data privacy. The discussion will also examine the potential for public-private partnerships to promote the adoption of micro-wealth and pension products in emerging markets.

A true, sustainable digital bank business model means that the bank optimizes its customer interactions, products, processes and data around digital technologies. Successful digital banks are appealing on the front end and are also digitally efficient on the back end. They use mobile and digital technologies to lower the costs to serve and, at the same time, these technologies are also used to enhance higher touch services.

A digital bank is branding to some banks. For others it is the digital channels. The transformation into a true digital bank is much broader and deeper.

In emerging markets, sustainable digital banking facilitates financial inclusion by providing affordable and accessible financial services to low-income earners and SMEs. It also enhances transparency, accountability, and risk management, thereby, improving the overall financial stability of the economy.

Digital banking also creates a platform for customers to access basic financial education and encourages responsible financial behaviour. 

In this session, we shall look at:-

• Role of digital banking in advancing financial inclusion and promoting sustainable development goals.
• How to develop sustainable digital banking strategies
• Challenges and opportunities of digital banking adoption in emerging markets, including regulatory and infrastructure barriers.
• Technology Choices and Critical Advantages 
• Business Models for inclusive Products and Services 
• A gender intelligent approach as a successful way to democratised financial access and driven-sustainable growth for the whole banking organisation.

The barriers to entry that MSMEs face in terms of digital and financial inclusion, are heightening in tandem with the mounting global urgency on climate change. This is fuelling closer scrutiny by financial institutions and large MNCs on their business and supply chain portfolios. As the world becomes increasingly green-centric, the consequences of a lack of ESG credentials will become more pronounced, as MSMEs find themselves excluded from sustainability-related capital pools and ESG-conscious markets.

A logical solution would be the development of a common set of digital ESG credentials, easily generated by MSMEs via the use of technology, that is recorded on a globally-endorsed identifier framework, and is capable of unlocking access to financial and supply chain networks worldwide. However, can this grand vision be achieved? Project Savannah aims to answer that question by teeing off the first steps of this journey, here at the inaugural Inclusive Fintech Forum.

In this session, participants will discuss:

• What the future looks like for MSMEs in a green economy: How must MSMEs position themselves to remain competitive amidst the global transition towards sustainability? 
• What are the main challenges faced by MSMEs in their ESG journey, and how can FinTech be a force for good to tackle these challenges?
• How can emerging markets harness technology and innovation to promote a more inclusive and sustainable market, and how can MSMEs benefit from this?
• Why is interoperability across regions important for global ESG efforts and how can various stakeholders rally around technology to achieve this?

Addressing the need for reliable and standardised ESG data

This panel will address the need for reliable and standardised ESG data to promote sustainable investment and meet the growing demand for socially responsible investment products. The session will examine:

• Current state of ESG infrastructure in emerging markets and the role of stakeholders, including investors, issuers, regulators, and data providers, in promoting standardisation and transparency
• Challenges and opportunities associated with collecting and analysing ESG data in emerging markets
• Best practices and use cases for developing ESG investment products in the emerging markets, including the importance of stakeholder engagement, product customisation, and impact measurement.
• Regulatory challenges and opportunities associated with ESG investment product development

Capital markets play a crucial role in driving economic growth and development, providing businesses with the necessary funding to expand and innovate, while also enabling individuals to invest and grow their wealth. However, in many emerging markets, capital market infrastructure is underdeveloped, fragmented, and often outdated, making it difficult for businesses to access the funding they need and for individuals to invest in the opportunities available to them.

Reimagining Capital Market Infrastructure for Emerging Markets seeks to address these challenges by exploring innovative solutions for building more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable capital markets in emerging economies.

• The future of FinTech and capital markets: How are FinTech companies disrupting traditional financial services, and what are the implications for capital markets?
• What new FinTech products and services are likely to emerge in the coming years, and how will they impact the way we invest and manage our finances?
• Blockchain and distributed ledger technology are also likely to play a significant role in the future of FinTech and capital markets. Blockchain-based platforms could potentially revolutionize the way securities are traded and settled, reducing costs and increasing transparency and security.
• How can emerging markets leverage technology and innovation to build more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable capital markets?
• How can we promote standardization and interoperability across different countries and regions to achieve greater efficiency and transparency in capital markets?
• How can sustainable finance be supported through the development of modern capital market infrastructure in emerging markets?