Inclusion is not bringing people into what already exists; it is making a new space, a better space for everyone — George DEI
In the spirit of Africa Month — where stories echo from Cape Town to Cairo — I had the privilege of chairing the 2nd Annual Africa Financial Inclusion Summit in Sandton, Johannesburg last week. It wasn’t just a professional milestone; it was a gathering of minds, hearts, and histories. From government changemakers to technology pioneers, every voice called out: Africa’s future must be not only funded — but fair.
In African tradition, the griot is not merely a storyteller. They are keepers of memory and custodians of wisdom. In that spirit, I share four reflections — four fires that warm us, warn us, and mirror the economic transformation we must steward together.
- Jobs must restore dignity, not just add numbers
Nazeem Hendricks, head of the project management unit at the Jobs Fund, opened the summit with what I call a blueprint for dignified development. With over R7.5 billion disbursed and 250,000 jobs created, the scale was impressive — but the soul of the work stood out.
The Jobs Fund supports initiatives that go beyond employment. From funding mental health in rural schools to helping youth entrepreneurs thrive, they operate on one truth: jobs are not just economic levers — they are lifelines for dignity and belonging.
The African proverb “Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu” — a person is a person through others — rings true here. Hendricks and his team are not just funding work; they’re funding wellbeing.
- Financial inclusion is not charity — It’s justice
Fatgie Adams, head of credit risk at TransUnion Africa, reframed financial exclusion as a failure — not of finance, but of imagination. In South Africa, nearly 20 million citizens are “financially invisible.” Not because they are irresponsible, but because our systems fail to see them.
Through alternative data — like grocery spending, airtime usage, and utility bills — TransUnion is creating culturally relevant, tech-enabled, dignity-driven credit models.
One standout case: a collaboration with Rainmaker Media that combined credit and retail data, identifying over 3.2 million potential borrowers and doubling advertising conversion. This wasn’t just innovation — it was social impact powered by machine learning.
Used ethically, data becomes a new kind of storytelling — revealing resilience, consistency, and trust in informal economies. This is how we build systems that reflect the people they serve.
- Entrepreneurship thrives where access meets respect
In a remote community called Juniper, Bridge the Gap CEO Roberts shared a powerful case study. Her team installed solar-powered Wi-Fi — and within weeks, transformation erupted.
A woman launched a laundry business. Another began charging phones. A micro-economy was born — not from aid, but from agency.
This wasn’t about “giving back.” It was about getting out of the way. As the Yoruba say, “A kì í mọ ibi tí omi gbẹ̀, kí a má mọ ibi tí omi gbà” — we cannot know where water dries without knowing where it flows.
Financial inclusion must move beyond dashboards and into rural realities. Access is not just availability — it’s belonging.
- Sexually transmitted debt: The hidden cost of inclusion
One session tackled a quiet crisis: Sexually Transmitted Debt (STD) — debts taken out by a partner in another’s name, often without consent.
These are more than financial burdens — they are psychological wounds. Imagine waking up to loans you didn’t take. Or finding that a partner’s financial decisions have shackled your future.
Financial literacy must include relational literacy. Legal systems must protect against coercion, and policies must recognise financial trauma as real trauma. As a coaching psychologist, I’ve witnessed how this unspoken crisis destroys confidence and trust. In this light, STD becomes a warning signal — not just of bad finance, but of broken systems.
From data to dignity: A whole-of-society model
A recurring theme across the summit was this: data must become dialogue.
Omnisient’s platform — in partnership with health systems and municipalities. In one city, shopping data helped predict diabetic risk. In Cape Town, it guided tax reform, ensuring rates weren’t raised in communities already struggling.
When governments, business, and civil society align, we move from competing KPIs to shared human outcomes.
Our panellists, our promise
The summit closed with a panel that lit up the room with insight and candor:
- Fatgie Adams, head of credit risk, TransUnion Africa; Zola Mbatha, attorney, Zola Mbatha Attorneys and head of compliance, Sava Technologies; Daniel O. Obaleye, senior management consultant, SystemicLogic; Thabang Chiloane, head of financial inclusion and public policy, The Banking Association of South Africa
Expertly moderated by Nere Jansen Van Vuuren, regional director – Africa at C&R Software, the panel tackled policy, protection, and practical implementation — ensuring that financial inclusion becomes more than a buzzword.
Conclusion: Fire forward
From tech-driven solutions to trauma-informed policy, from rural Wi-Fi to regulatory reform, the summit ignited a shared vision: Africa doesn’t need charity. It needs courage.
Courage to see every citizen as visible. Courage to turn data into dignity. Courage to restore agency to the margins. The fire is lit. Let’s keep it burning.
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