This interview with Sabine Mensah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of AfricaNenda, focuses on the organization's role in assisting African governments with digital financial inclusion. Sabine explains how AfricaNenda helps map out needs and strategies for governments, focusing on creating inclusive and interoperable national payment systems. The goal is to ensure that various stakeholders, including regulators, ministries, and capacity-building organizations, work together to build systems that are tailored to local needs. She highlights Rwanda as an example, where the development of an instant payment system emphasizes local involvement, such as using open-source software and supporting local developers. This approach has fostered a robust ecosystem of fintechs and system integrators in Rwanda. A significant part of their work also involves identity systems, crucial for accessing financial services. Sabine discusses the importance of digital identities, which help with know-your-customer (KYC) processes, making it easier for individuals to access banking services. She notes that countries like Ethiopia are making strides in this area with digital identity initiatives that support financial inclusion. Sabine emphasizes the importance of designing solutions that specifically address the needs of the financially excluded, such as women, rural populations, and low-income groups. She suggests measures like collecting sex-disaggregated data and creating services that meet the unique challenges of these groups, such as distance from service providers and limited access to formal banking systems. To further accelerate progress toward financial inclusion in Africa, Sabine encourages collaboration with AfricaNenda, which is supported by donors, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and GIZ. She stresses the urgency of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to financial inclusion by 2030, emphasizing AfricaNenda's readiness to partner with governments across the continent.

In this podcast by Africa.com, Emmanuel Khisa shares insights on the organization's role in supporting African governments in building effective and inclusive Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). He highlights Zambia's success with electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) systems, which have transformed digital health and social protection services. Khisa also emphasizes the importance of political will, strong infrastructure, and tailored technology solutions, and discusses how wireless and low-tech innovations, such as feature phones, can expand access to digital services across Africa.

Wamkele Mene, Secretary-General of AfCFTA, discusses the challenges and progress in implementing Africa’s digital trade protocol. While overcoming initial hurdles like data movement and payment systems was key, the real challenge now is implementation. Mene highlights the need for capacity-building, advocacy, and the strong political will of 48 countries already committed. He is optimistic that private sector investment, supported by the protocol’s regulatory framework, will drive the growth of digital public infrastructure (DPI) across Africa.

In the interview, Mohammed Abdi Mashaka, Director of Information Systems Development at Tanzania's Ministry of ICT, highlights the country’s progress in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). He emphasizes governance, innovation, and the development of the "JAMI stack" for digital payments, identity, and data-sharing to improve public services. Despite challenges like connectivity, Tanzania is expanding wireless and fiber-optic solutions. He stresses the private sector's role in economic growth and notes Tanzania’s 10-year Digital Economy Framework, driven by strong political will, as key to advancing digital transformation and regional collaboration.

70% of Africans make a living through agriculture, and technology could transform their world. Rural areas are chronically underserved by financial service providers, which is a limiting factor for economic development. Even where financial services are accessible, evidence shows that social concerns are often not fully incorporated in funding decisions and the delivery of services.

Standard Bank brings you this six-part series that delves deeper into key topics affecting the continent. Take a listen to how Africa can better prepare for the fight against climate change, leverage our agricultural potential, take advantage of deepening digitisation and protect the human rights of her people.

Many African companies have realised that life will never be the same again post Covid-19. Business survival will, to a large extent, depend on how organisations embrace the future, use technology, invest in skilling and re-skilling employees, develop tailor-made employee benefits, incorporate mental well-being into HR models, develop sustainable working models, and embed Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices in business models.

In this episode, Teresa Clarke talks with Kenny Fihla, Chief Executive: Corporate and Investment Banking at Standard Bank Group about how businesses can reorganise themselves post Covid-19.

Many mining and minerals businesses are already taking active steps on their ESG agenda; identifying their priorities and measuring their performance. But the real benefits come when you move beyond measurement and take action to improve.

Blockchain is, for many people, still synonymous with cryptocurrencies and financial applications. Yet the features that make blockchain technologies so appealing for asset management and monetary transactions -- transparency, tamper-resistance, efficiency, and smart contracts -- are also useful in areas that have little to do with finance.