Ed McLaughlin’s Post

Insights from the Africa Tech Festival ✨🌍 Yesterday was a great day spent at the Africa Tech Festival, and it was truly eye-opening to witness the remarkable developments taking place on the continent, especially within the fintech landscape. Having dedicated the last few months to researching Open Finance standards across the globe for Ozone API, the discussions around Open Banking at the festival were particularly captivating. Tarek Mouganie, PhD of Affinity Africa, Winnie Syowai Onyancha MBA from KCB Bank Group, and Kumari Janse Van Rensburg of ABSA shared invaluable insights on how embracing Open Banking can foster financial inclusion in Africa. The dialogue emphasized the transformative potential of Open Banking in overcoming barriers and promoting accessibility to financial services. It was encouraging to witness the growing enthusiasm among financial institutions in Africa as they begin to recognize and harness the possibilities that Open Banking brings. While acknowledging that there's still progress to be made, the discussions at the festival were a promising indication that the financial sector in Africa is embracing innovation and gearing up for a more inclusive future. Tarek did however add that the three things we need to see progress are "regulation, regulation, regulation". A shoutout to Samke S. Mhlongo for putting the 'festival' in Africa Tech Festival with her energy on stage. Looking forward to learning more about ongoing advancements in the African fintech landscape! 🚀🌐 #africatechfestival #Fintech #OpenBanking #FinancialInclusion #OzoneAPI #TechForGood

Mastercard is betting big in deepening Financial inclusion in Africa even as the continent bolsters’ investment in technology and regional integration. For more on this I spoke to Mark Elliott, Division President for Sub Saharan Africa at Mastercard

Last week's visit to Buenos Aires marked a significant milestone in strengthening ties between the UK and Latin America. Engaging with a diverse array of stakeholders, from government officials to industry leaders, the trip was a deep dive into the opportunities and challenges facing both regions. It was an opportunity to understand the evolving landscape of Argentina’s economy, to learn about the government’s plans and to connect with the Argentinian fintech industry. I connected with the Argentinian Fintech Association, joined by colleagues Alfredo Fierro MBE, Magdalena Luppi, María Verónica Boullon, and distinguished members, including Ignacio Plaza, president and managing partner of Drapery Cygnus VC, Mariano Francisco Biocca, Mario Lopez, VP and CEO at Poincenot tech.studio, Romina Simonelli, VP at Ualá, and Juliana Sheridan, regional legal manager at Mercado Pago. Our conversations covered not only the Argentine fintech sector's current state, but also the challenges of Open Banking in LATAC. Moreover, we touched upon the anticipation for Fintech Week 2024 and the 10th edition of the IFGS Summit, critical events that bring together the financial services and UK fintech ecosystems to explore industry new initiatives, and the sector's future. Additionally, my interaction with British subsidiaries across diverse sectors like Mining, Renewable Energy, Pharma, Education, Agritech, Infrastructure, and Financial Services was truly enlightening. This meeting offered a comprehensive overview of Argentina's political and economic landscape, fostering networking opportunities with British companies in Argentina and local agents of UK products. These discussions have been instrumental in understanding the nuances of doing business in Argentina and reinforcing the UK's commitment to fostering strong, mutually beneficial partnerships in the region. Looking forward to seeing the outcomes of these engagements and the continued growth of our trade relations. #UKinLatinAmerica #FintechInnovation #TradeAndInvestment #IFGS2024 #OpenBanking #UKFintechWeek

🌍🌱 So excited to see the 3i Africa Summit taking place - there is amazing work being done in the #Fintech space in Africa…hopefully I will be there too… Africa with right fintech laws and policy combined with the right strategy and stimulus of patient capital can really #leapfrog the west. At Orora we want to make this happen. Access to digital cash (old speak mobile money) can be a potential catalyst for change, driving financial inclusion and economic growth across the African continent. With innovative solutions and technologies, Fintech can bridge gaps in traditional banking services, reaching the unbanked and underserved populations. This can empower individuals, entrepreneurs, and SMEs to unlock their full potential, stimulating economic development and job creation. Ghana, South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya - have emerged as leaders in embracing Fintech and leveraging its transformative power. So many nations are now also experimenting with #cbdcs and the potential of #digitalassets too. Through proactive policy frameworks and robust regulations, these countries can create an enabling environment for Fintech to thrive. There is a movement here that’s growing momentum. There is recognition that by adapting laws and policy to evolve, embracing technological advancements while safeguarding consumer protection and financial stability change can happen at a pace that is amazing 🤩 The potential impact of Fintech policy and regulation in Africa cannot be underestimated. It can pave the way for groundbreaking innovations in mobile payments, digital banking, blockchain, and more. These advancements can revolutionise the way financial services are accessed and delivered, making them more accessible, affordable, and efficient. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Sopnendu Mohanty and the Singapore 🇸🇬 team for building an amazing export and network from the fintech festival. In 2012 I landed in Singapore and my life changed. My eyes were opened to a world of possibilities and while working at DBS Bank I went on a wild ride to learn about #innovation and #fintech while Barclays where I worked before taught me so much, DBS and the teams I worked with and observed taught how to make change happen. I remember Neal Cross and Paul Cobban emailing me about the first Singapore fintech festival and sandbox like it was yesterday. By sharing knowledge, experiences, and best practices, we can all foster the collaboration and accelerated the adoption of Fintech across borders we need to see in Africa. This collaboration will undoubtedly amplify the positive impact of Fintech on economies and societies, #FintechRevolution #AfricaThree #SingaporeFintechFestival #TransformingAfrica #InclusiveGrowth #Collaboration #bankingonhumanity At Orora we’re quietly getting ready to make change happen too so if you’re a fintech in Africa wanting to scale or an government agency with ideas talk to us we want to help. #humanitycentredbanking

Victor, Vusumuzi Ndlovu Business Development Lead for Mastercard East Africa: First of all, we want to open up an office here because we want to work with the local partners on ground. We are deeply invested and interested in forging a future where Technology & Finance intersect seamlessly, enabling a world beyond paper money i.e cash. How to archieve that,is by partnering with local Stakeholders that is FinTechs,and only through such partnerships,can we drive of Uganda's payments ecosystems. And therefore we understand and prioritize strategic partnerships ranging from Industry collaboration to key customer partnerships where we develop solutions that will cater to the financial sector #BankingConf23

About to moderate panel at #GitexAfrica Theme: Strategy & The Ecosystem   Panel: Financial Inclusion Starts with Connectivity. Through ‘The Digital Economy for Africa Initiative’, the World Bank is on a mission to have every individual, business and government in Africa digitally enabled by 2030, supporting the African Union’s ‘Digital Transformation Strategy for Africa.’ This grand task requires excellent infrastructure and systems in place for efficient mass adoption, with connectivity being the foundation. How are governments, telcos, fintechs and banks alike proactively working in tandem to achieve this goal in six years?

Earlier this year we won the #MostInnovativeRegTechSolutionProvider and #BestRegTechSolutionProvider at the Digital Banker Africa awards, showcasing the role GVG continues to play in the #RegTech ecosystem. We are extremely proud of our journey and what is yet to come. #Africa #innovation #digitaltransformation https://t.ly/m83Z0

What is private and public sector already doing to make it easier for world class "built in Latvia" fintech companies to emerge and prosper? And what else should / can we do? Join us on 11 October to discuss that!

🌟 Fintech in Africa 🌟 Over the next 10 years, #fintech will grow exponentially within the African continent driven by multiple factors. The journey will be hard (at times) but exciting (all the time). I am also confident that the Middle East will have an important role to play (we can already see the evidence of the same). The mistake we all make about Africa is that we still don’t fully appreciate the diversity, scale and size of the continent. It’s home to over 1.4bn people and over 50 different countries. Number of challenges exist but none which can’t be overcome. Personally, I have been impressed with what we have seen emerge out of the continent and there is a lot more of the same which will come our way in the future. With that in mind, I look forward to participating at GITEX AFRICA where the #futureoffinance on the continent is a key topic of discussion. Thank you to the DWTC team for the invite. If you are planning to be in #Marrakesh between the 29th and 31st of May then drop me a DM and it will be pleasure to catch up when I am not running between roundtables, panels and 🔥side chats. Arthur D. Little #fintech #payments #digitalassets #banking #regulation #baas #superapps #embeddedfinance

🌍 East and Southern Africa is buzzing with agtechs and fintechs that are transforming #agriculturalfinance in the region. 💳 📌 What factors influence their potential to become commercially viable and reach scale? Learn more in this report 👉 https://lnkd.in/dNxpjAPf