Breaking Banks Africa
Breaking Banks Africa explores the dynamic African fintech and entrepreneurship landscape, highlighting groundbreaking innovations and transformative stories from the continent. The podcast examines challenges, untapped opportunities, and triumphs of African entrepreneurs, offering insights into Africa's economic evolution. It is hosted by inspiring voices in the space and produced in cooperation with Timepledge.org.
Episodes
Episode 19: Investing in Africa’s Digital Future (September 2026)
In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, Matteo Rizzi sits down with Selma Ribica, founder of First Circle Capital, to explore Africa’s evolving fintech and venture capital landscape. Ribica reflects on her journey from M-Pesa to investing, highlighting how mobile money demonstrated the potential for technology to bring financial services to underserved populations. She explains why First Circle
Episode 18: Inclusive by Design: Transforming Banking in Madagascar (August 2026)
In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, host Matteo sits down with Mikhail Velichko, CEO of AccèsBanque Madagascar (ABM), to explore how innovation is driving financial inclusion in one of the world’s most underserved banking markets. With fewer than 10% of adults using formal banking services and most businesses operating informally, Madagascar presents unique challenges for lenders and entrepr
BBA 17: Building Bridges Across Emerging Markets (July 2026)
In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, host Matteo Rizzi sits down with Waleed Sadek, Founder and CEO of Fintra Holding and Paysky, to explore how interoperable payment infrastructure is transforming financial ecosystems across Africa, the Middle East, and beyond. Waleed shares the vision behind his group’s four businesses, from national payment systems and cross-border payment networks t
Episode 16: From Cash to Code: Powering a Digital Nation (June 2026)
In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, host Matteo Rizzi sits down with Premier Oiwoh, Managing Director and CEO of Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS), to explore how digital payment infrastructure is transforming Africa’s largest economy. Premier shares how NIBSS powers Nigeria’s payment ecosystem behind the scenes, driving interoperability, resilience, and innovation thr
Episode 15: Inside 3i Africa: Education, Capital, and the Next Generation of Builders (May 2026)
In a media partnership with the 3i Africa Summit, and supported by CXO Conversations, Breaking Banks Africa brings you a special live episode from the heart of Accra. Host Matteo Rizzi sits down with two leading voices shaping Africa’s talent and innovation future: Adewale Yusuf of AltSchool Africa, and Rosy Fynn of the Mastercard Foundation.
Together, they explore how AI is reshaping education, w
Episode 14: From Payments to Platforms: Building Africa’s Fintech Ecosystem at Scale (March 2026)
In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, Matteo Rizzi sits down with Dr. Stanley Jacobs, President of Fintech Nigeria and VP for West Africa at the Africa Fintech Network. They explore Nigeria’s fintech evolution, the rise of unicorns, and the opportunities shaping Africa’s youthful, tech-savvy population. From ecosystem building and cross-border innovation to talent development and digital inclu
Episode 13: Building Resilient Tech Ecosystems in Emerging Markets (January 2026)
In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, host Matteo Rizzi interviews Martin Labbé, a development and tech ecosystem specialist at the International Trade Centre (ITC). Labbé shares his journey from marketing and trade promotion into global tech ecosystem development, focusing on emerging markets across Africa. The conversation explores how ITC supports entrepreneurship by strengthening innovatio
Episode 12: Shaping Climate Innovation in Africa: From Finance to Tech (December 2025)
In the last episode of 2025 of Breaking Banks Africa, Matteo Rizzi interviews Shirley Mburu, Director of Advisory at BFA Global, to reflect on impact, innovation, and financial inclusion across the continent. Based in Nairobi, Mburu shares her journey into development finance and explains BFA Global’s work as a development consulting and venture-building firm supporting underserved populations. Th
Episode 11: Redefining Community, Mentorship & Growth (November 2025)
This episode of Breaking Banks Africa features Anie Akpe, founder of LumoHubs.com and African Women in Technology (AWIT). The conversation explores how Lumo Hubs is shaping the future of work in Africa by partnering with universities to equip students and communities with hands-on digital, vocational, and AI-driven skills. Anie highlights the importance of adaptability, continuous learning, and bu
Episode 10: From Vision to Execution: Driving Digital Growth in Emerging Markets (October 2025)
In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, Executive Producer Matteo Rizzi sits down with Sandra Yao, Group Head: Cross Border Remittance, Payments & BaaS (Fintech) at Ecobank. With 20 years of experience driving fintech and payment innovation across Africa, Sandra brings a unique “builder’s mindset” into one of the continent’s largest financial institutions, operating in 39 markets. From pione
Episode 9 – Breaking Barriers to Everyday Finance (September 2025)
In the new episode of Breaking Banks Africa, host Nadine Zoro explores how Wave, a mobile money company, is breaking barriers to financial inclusion across Francophone West Africa. Guest Coura Carine Sene, General Manager WAEMU Region, Wave Mobile Money, shares her journey from studying and working in France to returning to Senegal to drive change. Wave prioritizes affordabilit
Episode 8. Building Ventures, Building Futures (August 2025)
In episode 8 of Breaking Banks Africa, host Matteo Rizzi speaks with Kigali-based entrepreneur Philip Ngarambe, now Entrepreneur in Residence at ALX Ventures. Philip recounts his journey with AC Group, the company that transformed urban transport in Rwanda by introducing digital “tap & go” bus payments. What began as a mobility solution quickly evolved into a driver of 
Episode 7: From Legacy Systems to Digital Excellence: African Banking’s Evolution (July 2025)
In this episode, Matteo Rizzi sits down with Artur Pereira — entrepreneur, speaker, SWIFT specialist, and CEO of D-Evo — to explore Africa’s journey from legacy banking systems to digital excellence. Drawing from his extensive experience in Portugal, Angola, and across the continent, Artur unpacks the unique challenges and opportunities in African payments: from interoperability gaps and cross-bor
Episode 6: Redesigning African Finance for Climate Resilience and Inclusive Growth (June 2025)
In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, we sit down with Melanie Keita, co-founder and CEO of Melanin Capital, a groundbreaking fintech on a mission to become Africa’s first carbon digital bank. Melanie shares her journey from pitching at the EcoBank Fintech Challenge to raising capital and scaling a platform that combines climate finance, SME lending, and carb
Episode 5: Stablecoins Without the Hype (May 2025)
Episode 4: From Aid to Equity: Rethinking Investments in Africa (April 2025)
In the 4th episode of #BBA, hosts Matteo Rizzi and Nadine Zoro are joined by John Brittell from Side B Ventures to explore the shift from aid-based funding to equity-driven investments in Africa. With a background in development finance, John shares his transition from working in aid and grants to focusing on private sector investment. The conversation dives into the challenges faced by local entr
Episode 3: Breaking Banks Africa: Brand, Storytelling & Growth: Fintech Through a Marketing Lens (March 2025)
In this third episode, we welcome Nadine Zoro as she makes her debut as a podcast host, co-hosted by Matteo Rizzi. Our guest, Divine Muragijimana, brings her expertise in brand storytelling, product marketing, and fintech growth to the conversation. She shares insights on how strategic branding empowers African entrepreneurs, the intersection of media and fintech marketing, and key takeaways from
Episode 2: Inclusive Fintech Forum – Exclusive Take Over (March 2025)
In this episode of Breaking Banks Africa, host Matteo Rizzi engages in an insightful conversation with key figures from the fintech and financial inclusion landscape in Africa. Guests include Thelma Quaye, Director of Digital Infrastructure, Skills, and Empowerment at SmartAfrica; Kosta Peric, Deputy Director of Inclusive Financial Systems at the Gates Foundation; Leila Rwagasana, FinTech Sec
Episode 1: Modernizing Central Banking: A Vision for Financial Inclusion (February 2025)
In the first episode of Breaking Banks Africa, we explore the transformative impact of digital assets and CBDCs (Central Bank Digital Currencies) on financial inclusion and regulatory frameworks across Africa. Our guest Carmelle Cadet – CEO & Founder of EMTech, shares insights into the role of regulators in adapting to innovation, using tools like the sandbox to manage risks without wait
Episode 0: Welcome to Breaking Banks Africa
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