Financial Inclusion Unlocked

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• S2 EP9 - Navigating Consumer Rights in the Mobile Money Era with Kennedy Kipkemboi, GSMA 09.04.2026 38Min.

  Consumer protection is fast becoming one of the defining challenges of the mobile money era. From fraud and impersonation scams to opaque fees and inadequate recourse, the risks facing digital financial services users are growing, and as mobile money scales across Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and other emerging markets, so do the vulnerabilities it creates. This episode takes a hard look at the full arc of consumer protection in mobile money: what the challenge looks like today, where the ...
• S2 EP8 - How Can Financial Institutions Climate-Proof Their Portfolios? Insights from Andrée Simon (FINCA Global CEO) and Peter Zetterli (Green Lead, CGAP) 30.03.2026 43Min.

  Climate shocks are intensifying, and inclusive financial institutions are caught in the crossfire. As extreme weather events grow more frequent and severe, MFIs and inclusive banks face a dual challenge: protecting portfolio quality while continuing to support the clients who need them most. This episode takes a hard look at what happens when climate disaster strikes. Severe flooding in Pakistan wiped out livelihoods, disrupted local economies, and laid bare the fragility of financial systems...
• S2 EP7 - 70 Million Views: Driving Financial Literacy through Edutainment in Central Asia 25.03.2026 35Min.

  Stories stick where statistics don't. In this episode, we head to Central Asia to explore what happens when financial literacy stops being a classroom exercise and starts becoming entertainment. Our guests Buazhar Abdykadyrova is a master trainer at the National Bank of the Kyrgyz Republic. Recognising that institutional expertise has limits when it stays in a classroom, Buazhar built her social media presence across YouTube, Instagram, and Telegram — turning complex financial regulat...
• S2 EP6 - Addressing the Systemic Barriers to Women’s Financial Inclusion with Gayatri Murthy, Gender Lead at CGAP 09.03.2026 38Min.

  In this episode, Jack met Gayatri Murthy, Gender Lead at CGAP to explore the next chapter of women's financial inclusion. Women’s financial inclusion has made undeniable progress, but access alone has not delivered empowerment. Drawing on global research and country experience, we unpack the systemic barriers that persist beneath the surface including gender norms embedded in institutions, fragmented efforts, and misaligned incentives. Through the episode, we explore how to move f...
• S2 EP5 - How a TV Drama Can Change Financial Behaviours in Kenya with Rahma Seif, Producer at Mediae 02.03.2026 37Min.

  In this episode, we sit down with Rahma Seif, Producer at Mediae, to go behind the scenes of one of East Africa's most successful edutainment initiatives. Edutainment (education through entertainment) is moving from experimental to essential in the financial inclusion sector, with evidence showing it achieves significantly better knowledge retention and behaviour change than traditional approaches. Rahma walks us through Mediae's long-running serialised drama Makutano Junction and...
• S2 EP4 - How Vision Fund is Building Client Resilience through Inclusive Insurance with Solène Podevin Favre, Global Director for Inclusive Insurance 24.02.2026 32Min.

  In Episode 4 of the series, we meet Solène Podevin Favre, Global Director of Insurance at VisionFund International. Solène shares VFI's experience designing and scaling inclusive insurance across Africa, Asia, and Latin America — covering what they've learned about co-creating trusted products with insurers and communities, and why partnership is key to building resilience for microfinance borrowers and NGO beneficiaries alike. Key Topics Discussed Solène's journey from public health to lea...
• S2 EP3 - Transforming Remittances Into Opportunity Across the African Continent 09.02.2026 43Min.

  Remittances are a vital financial lifeline for millions of African families, helping to strengthen household resilience, advance financial inclusion and support local economic growth. Across much of the continent, remittances have traditionally been received in cash, typically between US$200 and US$300 per transaction, often involving long travel times and the risks associated with carrying money. Through the EU-funded PRIME Africa Programme, implemented by IFAD’s Financing Facili...
• S2 EP2 - Building a Climate Insurance Tech Startup with Maria Mateo Iborra, Founder of IBISA 02.02.2026 32Min.

  In Episode 2, we meet Maria Mateo Iborra, Founder of IBISA. In this episode, Maria shares her entrepreneurial journey that led to founding IBISA, a company that leverages satellite technology to provide innovative insurance solutions for farmers. We discuss her passion for technology, the challenges of entering emerging markets, and her vision for making climate insurance mainstream. Key Topics Discussed Maria's entrepreneurial journeyThe role of satellite technology in insuranceChall...
• S2 EP1 - How Can Financial Institutions Better Serve Clients with Disabilities? 26.01.2026 48Min.

  Welcome to Series 2! Happy New Year and welcome back to Financial Inclusion Unlocked! We're thrilled to kick off Series 2 with 10 powerful episodes releasing every Monday through the end of March. This season, we're diving deep into conversations with innovators, practitioners, and thought leaders who are working to unlock the potential of financial inclusion for all. In this opening episode, we tackle a topic that's often overlooked but desperately needs attention: disability inclusion in fi...
• BONUS – 2025 European Microfinance Award Winner Radiant Yacu on their Inclusive Insurance Journey 15.11.2025 36Min.

  Episode Sponsored by the Microinsurance Network In November 2025, we travelled to Luxembourg for the European Microfinance Award. The award is a prestigious prize that recognises outstanding initiatives advancing financial inclusion; in its 2025 edition, the theme focused on building resilience through inclusive insurance. The award is organised by InFiNe, the European Microfinance Platform (e-MFP), and the Luxembourg Government, with this year’s edition also supported by the Microinsurance N...
• BONUS - Central Bank Governor on How the Solomon Islands Is Going Digital 26.08.2025 20Min.

  Following a fantastic and successful Series 1 of show, we're excited to bring you a special bonus episode, before the launch of Series 2 in January 2026. In May 2025, Jack travelled to Honiara, the capital of the Solomon Islands—a stunning nation in the Pacific made up of nearly 1,000 islands. With a population of just over 800,000, the country faces unique geographic and infrastructure challenges, especially when it comes to delivering financial services to its many remote communities. While...
• S1 EP10 - The Fintech Daring Farmers in Africa To Dream Big! 20.06.2025 48Min.

  In this season finale, we take you to Uganda to explore how innovative fintech and agribusiness partnerships are driving a new era of agricultural finance for coffee growers. Emata is a Ugandan fintech (and licensed MFI) working in agriculture. They partner with agri companies to give smallholder farmers affordable, AI-powered digital loans. In this episode, Lilian Nassanga Musoke and Maren Hald Bjørgum walk us through the journey of the company since 2020 and how they partner with cooperativ...
• S1 EP9 - Reimagining Insurance for the Missing Middle with Garance Wattez-Richard, Founder & CEO of AXA EssentiALL 05.06.2025 32Min.

  What happens when one of the world’s biggest insurers decides to design products for the population that’s too poor to be rich — and too rich to be poor? In this deeply insightful conversation, Garance Wattez-Richard shares the story behind the creation of AXA EssentiALL. From her first pitch to launching operations in 22 markets, Garance walks us through the business model, the value proposition, and the mindset shift required to make insurance truly inclusive. Guest: Garance Wattez-Ri...
• S1 EP8 - Tackling the $170 BILLION annual financing gap for smallholder farmers with Tim Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance at Opportunity International 27.04.2025 43Min.

  Smallholder farmers are the backbone of Africa's agricultural sector, producing 80% of the region's food supply. In this episode, we met with Tim Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance for Opportunity International to discuss how financial inclusion can be a vehicle for smallholder farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa to achieve their goals. Guest: Timothy Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance at Opportunity International USA The episode covered: The $170 billion annual financing gap faci...
• S1 EP7 - How GSMA and Visa are advancing Digital Financial Literacy in Africa 27.04.2025 40Min.

  The adoption of digital financial services, or DFS has created significant impact for underserved communities across the world. The United Nations states that inclusive digital financial services have allowed individuals to store and increase savings, cope with unexpected economic shocks, access social benefits more cheaply, and make investments in economic opportunities that can lead them out of poverty. However, whilst the adoption of DFS has the potential for transformative impact, d...
• S1 EP6 - Supporting Countries to Prepare and Respond Quickly to Climate Disasters with Nilesh Prakash, Co-Director of Global Shield against Climate Risks 26.04.2025 37Min.

  When climate disasters strike, the world's most vulnerable communities often face devastating financial losses. In an era of increasing climate risks, traditional disaster response isn't enough. Communities need financial solutions that put them in control of their recovery. In Episode 6 of the Financial Inclusion Unlocked Podcast, we met with Nilesh Prakhash, Co-Director of the Global Shield against Climate Risks, to explore how locally led Climate and Disaster Risk Finance and Insurance sol...
• S1 EP5 - A New Approach to Financial Inclusion with Sophie Sirtaine, CEO of CGAP 08.04.2025 30Min.

  The way that we view and define financial inclusion continues to evolve. Not only is financial inclusion measured on purely “access” but on how it can be a vehicle to accelerate the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. In this episode, we meet with Sophie Sirtaine, the Chief Executive Officer of CGAP, to discuss what the future of financial inclusion looks like. CGAP is an international partnership housed in the World Bank Group, dedicated to promoting inclusive financial ecosystems that enab...
• S1 EP4 - The Transformative Power of Saving Groups with Jeff Ashe 08.04.2025 36Min.

  From Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) to ROSCAs and Cuchubales, community-based financial groups have a long history of empowering individuals. Whether it’s for personal development or economic resilience, saving groups have been a cornerstone of financial inclusion for centuries. In this episode, we met with Jeff Ashe, a financial inclusion expert, author and lecturer with over 45 years experience in the sector. Jeff was previously a Senior Associate Director at Accion Int...
• S1 EP3 - How a Bank In Uganda Is Providing Access To Finance For Refugees 25.03.2025 20Min.

  Uganda is the largest refugee-hosting country in Africa, with over 1.7 million refugees and asylum seekers in the country. For those arriving in Uganda, accessing basic financial services has been incredibly difficult due to a lack of legal documentation, collateral and inadequate banking infrastructure. In this episode, we met with two leading experts representing Opportunity Bank Uganda Limited (OBUL) and Opportunity International UK (OIUK). Guests: - Amos Bonna, Chief Relationship Of...
• S1 EP2 - How Parametric Insurance is Protecting Communities in Fiji Against Cyclones and Flooding 25.03.2025 29Min.

  With the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events increasing, Small Island Developing States (SIDs) are bearing the brunt of climate change, facing a growing number of threats including cyclones, floods, and rising sea levels. For instance, Fiji alone has seen devastating impacts from cyclones like Cyclone Winston in 2016, which the World Bank stated caused over $1.4 billion in damage—around 20% of the country’s GDP. As communities in Small Island Developing States experience these c...