TH!NK

MCB Talk | Happy talent, happy client 30.06.2026 24min

An unfulfilled employee will rarely provide great customer service. For MCB Group Head of HR, Allan Freed, who says that “being A Great Place to Work only matters if we’re a great place to bank”, the link between the workplace and the marketplace is clear. In this latest episode of MCB Talk, Allan Freed explores a timely paradox: as predictions of automation at work grow, organisations like MCB are placing people more firmly at the centre of their strategy. Find out what thi...

MCB Talk | A compass for Africa 16.04.2026 32min

These days, the news is grim in most places, but MCB’s latest Africa Economic Compass report shows Africa is telling a different story – the continent is no longer absorbing global shocks from a position of weakness. Years of tough reforms, stronger buffers and rising intra‑African trade meant many economies entered the current crisis on firmer ground. And now the crisis itself is accelerating change. In this latest episode of MCB Talk, the report’s authors say that, although uneven, Africa’s...

MCB Talk | What is independence without energy sovereignty? 17.03.2026 19min

The war in Iran is a wake-up call for countries like Mauritius, says geopolitical expert François Gemenne in this latest episode of MCB Talk. For him, energy transition is no longer just about climate — it’s about sovereignty. As global tensions disrupt key energy routes and drive volatility, Mauritius’s reliance on imported fossil fuels exposes the economy to shocks beyond its control. And according to Gemenne, this volatility is not temporary — it’s the new normal. Last year's episode can b...

MCB Talk | Powering Mauritius 03.02.2026 33min

If ever there were a time for Mauritius to transition to low-carbon energy, it would be now. Old, defective machine parts, an outdated grid, supply insecurity, and the declining cost of renewable technologies form a perfect storm for the transition. And the stakeholders, – lawmakers, the CEB, IPPs and the banks – are getting ready to take up the challenge. Find out what’s at stake, what the constraints are, but also where the hope lies in this latest episode of MCB Talk on energy transition. ...

MCB Talk | Behind the billions 21.11.2025 30min

Behind the billions When a systemic bank like MCB generates billions in profits, it benefits not just its shareholders but also its home country, through the value it creates, the taxes it pays, and the support it provides to the economy. In this episode of MCB Talk, “Behind the billions”, MCB Group CEO Jean Michel Ng Tseung takes an unfiltered look at what should drive the success of Mauritius, saying maintaining the country’s sovereign investment grade is critical to its continued prosperit...

MCB Talk | Hunting in packs 22.09.2025 23min

MCB recently lit up the Nasdaq Tower in Times Square, showcasing how far the Mauritian bank has come in expanding the reach of its financial markets in Africa and beyond. Speaking to MCB Talk, the head of Financial Markets, Parik Tulsidas, explains how MCB Financial Markets has become a product house in its own right and is helping the bank achieve its ambition of becoming a one-stop shop for its clients in Africa.

MCB Talk | Building for the future 04.09.2025 31min

When MCB launched Juice in 2013, mobile banking was new, and smartphones were just starting to take off. Just 12 years later, 82% of payments worldwide are contactless and people are paying with their phones, rings, glasses – and in some places, with their smiles. As MCB brings tap technology to Mauritius, a first in the Indian Ocean, it’s also ensuring that your contactless payments remain secure, reliable, and robust. In this latest episode of MCB Talk, find out how our world is...

MCB Talk | Mauritius at the Centre. The Indian Ocean as Home. 15.08.2025 20min

From corporate banking in the Maldives to financial inclusion in Madagascar and full-service retail in Seychelles, MCB is using the best of Mauritius to lead with purpose across the Indian Ocean. In this new episode of MCB Talk, Dominique Provençal, Head of MCB Overseas, explores how Vision 2030 is redefining MCB’s footprint in Seychelles, Madagascar, and the Maldives—now officially part of our home markets. MCB’s regional strategy is powered by Mauritius's strength and stability, integration...

MCB Talk | Thinking outside the concrete box! 16.07.2025 33min

Once considered unconventional, container houses are now gaining traction as affordable, sustainable, and stylish alternatives to traditional concrete structures. And for the first time in Mauritius, MCB is offering mortgage financing for this type of dwelling—partnering with local pioneers Velogic and Sunbox. Tune in as we bust myths, explore benefits, and talk financing with MCB’s Jean-Lou Rosse, Velogic’s Grégory de Comarmond, and Sunbox’s Vincent Mamet.

MCB Talk | “Imagine if we did not have Juice!” 05.06.2025 23min

In this latest episode of the MCB Talk podcast, the bank’s Heads of Domestic Banking and Retail, Anju Umrowsing Ramtohul and Bernard Jackson, discuss what it really means to serve 1.2 million customers. They do not shy away from addressing ongoing challenges; from the country’s cash dependency and digital hesitation to national staffing dynamics. But they also highlight solutions—enhanced customer service training, development of clear career paths to reduce staff turnover, and a focus ...

MCB Talk | Refuse refuse 20.05.2025 28min

We all know plastic is a problem. We all know we should reduce, refuse, recycle etc but there’s a disconnect between what we know and what we do. That’s why plastic pollution is so complex: it’s down not just to the amount of plastic we consume but also the type of plastic and what it’s used for. But above all, it’s how we anticipate its end of life and how we dispose of it. Learn more about the plastic conundrum in the latest episode of MCB Talk featuring Plastic Odyssey, Simon Bernard...

MCB Talk | Perception is not always reality 06.05.2025 29min

As this year’s MCB Trade Week gets underway, the bank’s experts continue highlighting the importance of MCB’s knowledge of the continent for business. Jessen Coolen and Arnaud Levasseur, the authors of a recently launched report on trade based on on-the-ground knowledge of Africa and insights gained from last year’s Trade Week, say that risks can only be navigated when they are properly understood. Download the MCB Trade Report 2025: on.mcb.mu/trade-report

MCB Talk | In Africa, MCB is seen as an enabler 02.05.2025 23min

As MCB officially opens its Representative in Lagos, Nigeria, marking its first permanent presence in West Africa, the bureau’s Chief Representative Officer, Abiodun Azeez, talks to us about how the bank is currently supporting Nigerian banks and their clients while also enabling Indigenous companies to acquire assets as International Oil Companies divest. Find out more about MCB’s African agenda in this latest episode of MCB Talk.

MCB Talk | The threat of disinformation is bigger than climate change 07.04.2025 39min

“The threat of disinformation is bigger than climate change” Geopolitical expert Francois Gemenne says the US withdrawal from international cooperation is bad news for the fight against climate change but urges companies to keep investing in the transition to a low-carbon economy. In this latest episode of MCB Talk, this member of the IPCC comments on current affairs, including the impact of recent US Executive orders on the world, whilst warning that disinformation is currently the big...

Can women have it all? 07.03.2025 33min

Gender equality has made important strides in the workplace these past years. At MCB, for instance, an array of progressive measures meant to support employees in their role as parents has been introduced over the years. But women are struggling to balance motherhood and work, frequently having to choose one over the other. In the latest episode of MCB Talk, three women, Hema Cederhague, Head of Securities at MCB, Anne Claire Antoinette, Sustainability Lead at the bank and Shakila Bado...

Northern countries are attempting to limit Africa’s socio-economic development 31.01.2025 24min

In this first episode of season 2 of the MCB Talk podcast, CEO Thierry Hebraud speaks out against what he calls the hypocrisy of Northern countries. He says G7 countries represent 25% of all CO2 emissions, while Africa, with only 4% of CO2 emissions, is bearing not only the brunt of climate change but also underdevelopment, with 600 million people without access to electricity. He says the continent needs to join forces to defend its right to a sustainable development under a Just Transition ...

The country’s biggest restaurant 17.12.2024 21min

MCB runs not just the country’s biggest bank but also… rather incongruously, Mauritius’ biggest… restaurant! In this final episode of MCB Talk for 2024, we tell the story of how a company that employs over 3000 people engaged in wide-ranging activities—from financial markets to media and catering and, yes, good old banking—views its responsibilities towards them. We talk about how a decision taken more than 30 years ago to provide its employees with well-balanced, home-cooked style meals at a...

MCB Talk | Certification is becoming less important as jobs evolve 18.11.2024 25min

“Hire for attitude and train for skill” is MCB Group head of HR Allan Freed’s recommendation for facing the disruption technology is unleashing in the world of work as jobs evolve and new ones are created to cater to the changing expectations of a markedly younger workforce. In the latest episode of MCB Talk, Allan Freed and Krystel Bernard Knappova, MCB’s People Strategy Partner, discuss the cultural shift in the HR world and what companies like MCB can do to find and keep the best ta...

MCB Talk | We live in a disrupted world 07.10.2024 18min

Global trade would not exist without a reliable and efficient way to make payments. As technology advances relentlessly, banks like MCB must continue investing in their payment solutions to provide a seamless experience to their clients. In this latest episode of MCB Talk, Sanjeev Hazareesing, MCB’s Head of Global Transaction Banking, lifts a veil on the mysterious world of money movement.

MCB Talk | We are not just bankers 03.09.2024 19min

MCB is putting its money where its mouth is by offering businesses cheaper money to help their ecological transition, their adaptation to the impacts of climate change or otherwise create more resilience and sustainability in their business models. In this latest episode of MCB Talk, Aldo Sydonie and Narvika Seetahul from MCB’s Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB) reveal how sustained conversations with their clients have led to the co-creation of at least two sustainable fi...