African Countries Need Strong Development Banks – How They Can Push Back Against Narrative to Weaken Them

African Countries Need Strong Development Banks – How They Can Push Back Against Narrative to Weaken Them

A quiet but consequential contest is playing out in the global financial architecture. One that could determine Africa’s ability to finance its own development. In recent months, powerful voices from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the Paris Club and US investment bank JP Morgan have questioned the preferred creditor status of African multilateral development finance…

Read More
Fintechs outpacing banks in South Africa’s informal economy

Fintechs outpacing banks in South Africa’s informal economy

Annelene Dippenaar Fintech companies have taken a boots-on-the-ground approach to providing fit-for-purpose financial services in township and rural economies – and that’s helping them outpace the banks and drive digital adoption at higher rates. This is according to Annelene Dippenaar, legal, risk and compliance officer at Shop2Shop, who told TechCentral in an interview that fintechs…

Read More
African Countries Need Strong Development Banks – How They Can Push Back Against Narrative to Weaken Them

Africa: Dams for Development? Unpacking Tensions in the World Bank’s Hydropower Policies

Dams have been emblematic of the World Bank’s approach to development for many decades. From the bank’s early years in the 1960s and 1970s, large-scale infrastructure projects such as dams, power plants and transport networks were central to its strategy for economic growth and poverty reduction. This reflected a top-down modernisation paradigm. But the controversial…

Read More
African Countries Need Strong Development Banks – How They Can Push Back Against Narrative to Weaken Them

Africa: Banks Embed Climate Risk, Gender and Sustainability in Finance Products

Nairobi — Ahead of the Conference of the Parties (COP30), the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2) in Addis Ababa is looking to mobilize billions for renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, green housing, and gender-focused financing. As climate shocks intensify across East Africa, from failed rains in Kenya’s arid north to devastating floods in Tanzania’s coastal belt,…

Read More
Banks should review PayShap fees – Standard Bank

Banks should review PayShap fees – Standard Bank

Standard Bank’s Nthabiseng Mohale Banks should review their pricing strategies for PayShap transactions to drive higher rates of financial inclusion and increase adoption of the rapid payments platform in South Africa. This is according to Nthabiseng Mohale, head of interbank and domestic payments at Standard Bank Group, who spoke to TechCentral at the launch of…

Read More
Banks should review PayShap fees – Standard Bank

Banks should lower PayShap fees – Standard Bank

Standard Bank’s Nthabiseng Mohale Banks should consider lowering the fees they charge for PayShap transactions to drive higher rates of financial inclusion and increase adoption of the rapid payments platform in South Africa. This is according to Nthabiseng Mohale, head of interbank and domestic payments at Standard Bank Group, who spoke to TechCentral at the…

Read More
Ethics in focus as banks confront AI, fintech gap

Ethics in focus as banks confront AI, fintech gap

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being used in the financial services industry. As artificial intelligence (AI) takes on a growing role in financial services, from granting loans, to automating small-business bookkeeping, banks grapple with how to use it responsibly and authorities seek to put rules in place. Ciko Thomas, group managing executive of personal and private…

Read More