Meet the Speakers and Brands
at MWC Kigali

In a few words why are you sponsoring MWC Kigali?

As the founding partner, we share the same vision as the GSMA to make MWC Kigali the biggest and the most influential ICT event in Africa.

What technology do you think will have the greatest impact in Africa in the next 5 years?

5G, Cloud based digital transformation, full optical broadband, AI powered intelligent O&M and carbon free solutions.

What problem are you currently solving in the connectivity sphere?

Rural connectivity, 4G network speed and capacity improvement, and exploring applications in vertical and private section to boost 5G development.

Who are you looking forward to meeting at MWC Kigali?

All old and new friends with the same objective to create a fully connected Africa.

What topic will you be speaking on?

Defeating cybercrime to win the race for FinTech leadership

Why is the topic you’re speaking on so important right now

Telecommunication companies are now more than ever looking to gain a significant share of the digital economy and increase their profitability. At the same time, and for too long, these operators have been sidelining a particularly profitable business where they possess all the advantages: fintech. - Why telecom operators can become the most prominent fintech players on the planet. - How protected operators have been able to reconcile hyper-growth and security, reopen their markets and take full advantage of the power of one-click payments. - Why security is the most crucial battleground to seize this unique opportunity.

What technology do you think will have greatest impact globally in next 5 years?

Without a doubt, the payments offered by telecom operators. Mobile money and carrier billing can meet all the needs covered by traditional payment methods and deliver much more. These payment methods are superior due to their incomparable speed of installation and payment, natural network effects and level of security when protected by a cybersecurity solution adapted to the highest security standards. These technologies are disruptive and capable of meeting the immense needs caused by the under-banking that affects a large part of the world's population.

In your opinion, what is a critical conversation the technology community should be having right now?

How to move from the current cybersecurity model, where cybersecurity is used as an audit after security incidents, to the ideal model where cybersecurity acts proactively and becomes the core of business strategies and an ally for growth.

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In a few words, why are you sponsoring the event?

As a founding partner of the MWC Kigali, our participation at this event provides us with an opportunity to engage with our partners across the fintech, telecommunication, banking and government sectors. We are proud to showcase our solutions and technology that enable the connection of millions of people from underserved communities to the financial and digital economy across the world, and the wider Africa continent. At the event, we will also be releasing an insightful whitepaper on the fintech economy. Through this, we hope to engage with relevant stakeholders regarding the current state of the fintech economy in Africa.

What technology do you think will have greatest impact in your region in next 5 years?

Africa is the world’s largest adopter of mobile money, comprising nearly half of the globe’s registered mobile money accounts with 621 million wallets (up 17% from 2020), accounting for 70% of the world’s $1 trillion mobile money value. This means Africa is receptive to digital payments and there is an opportunity for Mastercard to complement this technology.

The mobile money revolution is well underway – transforming payment solutions in an ecosystem that is dynamic and rapidly evolving. Millions of consumers throughout Africa are without any access to formal banking products, but they do have a phone, data and a need to transact.

While digital payments have grown over the past few years alongside the region’s increased internet and smartphone penetration, the pandemic has also put the spotlight firmly on touchless experiences, contactless transactions, ecommerce, and mobile money solutions.

Focusing on smartphone penetration, what is evident is that unprecedented innovations are coming out at unprecedented speed.

People are looking for services and technologies with more intelligence that do more for them.

People want real-time connectivity, more choices, digitized services -- all with privacy and security-built in.

Focusing on the now and the future, this year specifically, our business has been doubling down on our work in blockchain, the metaverse, biometric payments and AI analytics.

Regarding crypto, our role is to enable choice by bringing simplicity and safety to the crypto economy. That may be through crypto card programs where people can instantly convert their crypto to pay at merchants who accept Mastercard, by making it easier for people to buy NFTs, or by helping crypto wallets and exchanges perform identity and fraud checks and understand their risk.

Who are you looking forward to meeting and speaking about at the event?

Telcos, fintech companies, governments, technology companies and startups. These are people we provide solutions to and hold us accountable to our commitment of connecting one billion people into the financial and digital economy by 2025. Not forgetting our partners, who through their collaborative efforts, help bring us closer to this goal, therefore turning it into reality.