Interswitch Group’s Post

We are thrilled to extend our warmest congratulations to the National Bank of Rwanda (BNR) for their outstanding achievement in emerging as the winner of the prestigious 2023 AFI Financial Inclusion Innovation Award during AFI's 2023 Global Policy Forum, held in Manila, Philippines. We at Sunoida are proud to have contributed to BNR’s win and the profound and enduring impact that our solution has had on the lives of the Rwandan people and the financial inclusion of Rwanda. At Sunoida, we are immensely proud that our Electronic Data Warehouse (EDW) solution for BNR has been recognized as the key reason behind BNR's remarkable success. This accolade serves as a powerful testament to our shared dedication to innovation and financial inclusion. At the heart of this success is Sunoida’s Electronic Data Warehouse solution - a groundbreaking platform that enables the BNR to automatically collect granular financial inclusion data from all regulated financial service providers. The data are disaggregated by factors such as gender, age, location, and economic activities. They empower policymakers with unparalleled insights into the specific needs and preferences of various demographic groups. Armed with this invaluable information, the BNR can tailor financial inclusion strategies more effectively, ensuring that no one is left behind in the journey towards universal access and usage of formal financial services and well-being of citizens in Rwanda. Congratulations to National Bank of Rwanda (NBR) for this well-deserved win, and here's to many more milestones and innovations on the horizon! Together, we'll continue driving positive change and making a lasting impact on communities across Rwanda. Learn more about Sunoida’s Vision SupTech at https://lnkd.in/dkUFmCDr #BNR #AFIAward #bankingsolutions #businessintelligence #dataanalytics #bigdata #collaboration #bankingtransformation #Centralbank #EDW #dataanalytics #AFI #Vision #RegulatoryBody #Rwanda #FinancialInclusion #Inclusion #customersuccess #SunoidaSolutions #bankingonintelligence #VisionSupTech

The Africa Fintech Network (AFN) has announced the appointment of new members to its Board of Directors for the term 2023-26. Comprising #professionals from diverse disciplines across #Africa, the board is geared toward advancing AFN's mission of catalyzing the continent's digital economic development. Having served as the 'Voice of Fintech' in Africa, AFN takes pride in its accomplishments over the past five years, fostering #collaborations, partnerships, and advocacy within the #fintech and #digital finance #ecosystem. The #organization's membership now spans 40 countries, backed by key partners, including Ecobank Transnational Incorporation and the Africa Development Bank. Looking ahead, AFN outlines an ambitious agenda for the next five years, aiming to significantly enhance the breadth and depth of fintech and #digital finance. The strategic focus areas include interventions to scale hard #infrastructure, digital infrastructure, financial and digital literacy, #digital trust, women in tech, innovative policies and regulations, regtech and suptech, as well as mainstreaming environmental, social, and governance issues. The announcement extends congratulations to the new Executive Board and the General Board of Directors, expressing confidence in their collective efforts to propel digital finance to new heights in Africa. AFN remains committed to driving financial and economic inclusion across the continent through impactful initiatives and collaborations with key stakeholders in the ecosystem. #fintech #hakunamatatamedia

Stanbic And Ramani Partner To Endorse Domestic Trade. Stanbic Bank Tanzania has formed a strategic alliance with Ramani.io, a leading financial technology company, to improve local trade and expand financial inclusion in Tanzania. This collaboration combines Ramani's innovative technology solutions with Stanbic Bank's financial expertise to empower local entrepreneurs and streamline trade processes, thereby fueling economic growth. At the launch event, Fredrick Max, Stanbic Bank’s Head of Business and Commercial Banking stressed the crucial role of technology in enhancing financial inclusion and transforming domestic trade. He noted that the synergy between Ramani’s digital platforms and Stanbic Bank’s financial services is set to revolutionize the way trade is conducted in the country. Ramani CEO, Iain Usiri, added that their platform simplifies order management for distributors and enhances transparency in sales and inventory management, making it easier for Stanbic Bank to provide efficient loans. This partnership is a significant step towards digitizing Tanzania's value chains, addressing transparency issues that currently hinder the region's supply chains and financial accessibility. #StanbicBank #FinancialInclusion #Tanzania #FinTech #EconomicGrowth #DigitalTrade Photo: Fredrick Max with Iain Usiri | Stanbic Bank Tanzania.

Banking for Prosperity & Growth; sharing the stage with Sepo L. Haihambo , CEO of FNB Namibia Thoroughly enjoyed demystifying "Banking for Prosperity" with a very impressive #banking leader from the continent of #Africa. We got to cover a wide range of topics including and not limited to: ⚙️ What programs or initiatives did the bank have in place to educate and #empower individuals and businesses in Namibia?" ⚙️ How was the bank addressing the challenge of financial inclusion in Namibia, particularly in rural and underserved areas?" ⚙️ What are the main challenges faced by #SMEs in Namibia, and how were banks helping them overcome these obstacles? ⚙️ How were the banks increasingly integrating environmental, social, and governance (#ESG) criteria into its lending and investment decisions?" ⚙️ How was FNB in Namibia leveraging #technology to enhance customer experience and operational efficiency? ⚙️ Finally, the importance of #collaboration between various stakeholders of the #banking #ecosystem and how important was it to have a forward looking perspective What is worth mentioning is that I also enjoyed our discussions on the sidelines of our talk; discussing different business models and strategies which exist in the different corners of the world and their applicability to Namibia 🇳🇦 and the wider African continent. I am confident there will be more conversation in the future GITEX AFRICA #fintech #baas #platforms #financialinclusion #superapps #tinkoff #graminbank #leadership

Last week, for the first time, our Managing Partner, Emmanuel Mudahemuka, participated in the MWC Africa in Kigali Convention Centre. An inspiring event that exceeded my expectations. Here is the summary of the sessions he attended: 1. FinTech Summit: Vision and Strategy. Featuring executives from MTN, Airtel, and Ethio telecom, this session shared how they have shaped their fintech propositions to deliver compelling solutions for their customers, driving engagement, disrupting the market, and achieving success. 2. FinTech Summit: Unlocking FinTech Innovation & Opportunities. Industry experts shared key insights into the current trends in fintech and how key business partners are leveraging the opportunities and overcoming the challenges they create. 3. Sustainable impact: scaling digital innovation in Africa. The session centered on the GSMA programme, with support from FCDO and other donors, that has supported more than 130 organisations with equity-free grant funding to test and scale innovative digital technologies and business models that boost local ecosystems, improve livelihoods, and drive prosperity.  It focused on the principles identified through an analysis of the scaling journey of 21 of past grantees, with speakers including grantees themselves. 4. Transforming financial services for all: Innovations in African fintech. In this panel discussion, experts from across the fintech and mobile money ecosystem explored the transformative impact of mobile money in Africa, discussed the latest trends and innovations in the space, and examined the challenges and opportunities for expanding access to financial services for all Africans. 5. Next-Gen of Financial Services. What’s disrupting the disruptor? We were impressed by the different presentations on innovative solutions such as eKash by RSwitch, Pesheza, Wassur, and Irembo to name just a few. We would like to thank MWC Africa, GSMA, their sponsors, and partners for an opportunity to connect with innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and executives driving the digital transformation of African economies. #MWCAfrica #GSMA #KigaliConventionCentre #mdxconsulting

The 10th edition of the Africa Fintech Summit is set to take place in Lusaka, Zambia, from November 2-3, 2023, at the Ciela Resort & Spa. This summit brings together FinTech innovators, regulators, investors, and industry leaders from across Africa and the globe to facilitate networking and partnership opportunities. Since its inception in 2018, this biannual event has gained recognition for its role in promoting FinTech development in Africa. The previous editions have supported over $100 million in capital raises for African startups, enabled market entry for multinational corporations, fostered strategic partnerships, influenced policy guidelines, and more. Zambia was chosen as the host for this edition due to its emerging status as Africa's next FinTech hub. Recent developments, such as the entry of digital companies like Cellulant and ZeePay, local FinTech growth, and government efforts to drive digital transformation, make Zambia an ideal location for the summit. The event is expected to feature influential speakers including Chilufya Mutale, Co-founder and CEO of Premier Credit, and John Bosco Sebabi, Deputy CEO of the Pan-African Payments and Settlement System (PAPSS). The summit aims to drive financial inclusion and sustainable economic development across the African continent. #AFTSLusaka2023 #FinTechInAfrica #DigitalTransformation #AfricanTech #FinancialInclusion #FinTech #Innovation #BusinesGrowth #CEO #NimaccBL

Digitalization is a key enabler of financial inclusion for both microentrepreneurs and microfinance institutions.   Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Eli M. Remolona underscored this during the ceremony for the 2nd Digital Financial Inclusion Awards (DFIA) held at the BSP Head Office in Manila on 24 October 2023.   The Governor lauded the DFIA awardees, whom he described as “good role models,” for their efforts to leverage digital technologies to better serve their clients and their communities.   Supported by the BSP, the DFIA recognizes microenterprises and microfinance institutions that adopt digital technology in line with the government’s National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2022-2028.    The DFIA is funded by Citi Foundation and implemented in partnership with the Microfinance Council of the Philippines, Inc.   For more on the digitalization initiatives and financial inclusion goals of the BSP, visit: https://lnkd.in/gAfmcb2j   #Financial Inclusion #Digitalization #BSPUpdates

With the changing landscape internationally, Africa will have to develop policies that enable people to own all of their data and to use this as currency to participate in the "new data ecosystem " that we must build. With this " data-as-currency " people can trade/barter it into a bigger community to benefit others and to benefit themselves whether that data is financial, health, entertainment/content/creatives, or browsing history data etc ....... youtube & tiktoc approach to sharing value is more industry defining than Facebook for instance in terms of shared value. . . . We need to understand these concepts in policy planning because because integration into global systems first means we have to first guarantee more widespread participation and this is only possible in this enlightened era by shared -value models #innovation #technology #sharedvalue #healthcare

The U.S. Trade and Development Agency U.S. - Africa Financial Inclusion Conference Day 1 was impactful, invaluable, and highly energizing! Especially around the key theme of how Banks, Financial Institutions, Fintechs, Regulators, and other stakeholders must work together in partnership and collaboration to ensure financial access to all on the continent. More importantly was about learning of the various challenges that businesses on the continent face when doing cross-border payments! Massive opportunities for U.S. companies in the fintech sectors to provide tailor made solutions to address cross-border payments in Africa! There are numerous opportunities for U.S. fintech companies to offer specialized solutions to deal with cross-border payments in Africa. Another takeaway that stood out was on financial literacy and raising awareness of the financial resources and instruments that small firms in Africa can use for sustainable growth. USG agencies such as USTDA offer project preparation funding for critical infrastructure projects on the continent and the U.S. Commercial Service assists U.S companies provide innovative solutions that meet the needs of the African market. Sarah Whitten U.S. Commercial Service Sub-Saharan Africa #financialinclusion #financialempowerment #ustda

Ghana to host 3i Africa Summit to rally investment in African fintechs: The value of Africa's fintech industry is projected to reach $65bn by 2030, but a lack of investment and rigid regulatory policies are holding back ...