Advancing Financial Inclusion in Africa: An Interview with Sabine Mensah of AfricaNenda

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.