2024 SADC Financial Inclusion Forum - Day 1
Held from 9-10 October 2024 at the Southern Sun O.R. Tambo International Airport Hotel in Johannesburg, and virtually via Zoom, the seventh annual SADC Financial Inclusion Forum brought together member states and key industry players from across the Southern African Development Community. The Forum focused on the role of digital payments, regulatory frameworks, and technological innovation in enhancing financial inclusion across the SADC region.
Day 1 of the event featured a keynote address by Dr Maluke Letete, Governor of the Central Bank of Lesotho, titled "Community Digitisation to Enable Economic Growth in SADC – The Evolution of Digitisation of Payments in Lesotho" with insights into Lesotho's journey toward digital payment solutions. Additional sessions explored the development and use of digital payments across the region, including the following:
ICT and digitisation of payments in SADC with a focus on the SADC ICT observatory to inform the usage of digital payments in SADC, SADC Digital Financial Services Guidelines and Recommendations for ICT Regulators (implementation update) and data privacy laws and impact on AML/CFT - access to financial services
Overview of the revised SADC Mobile Money Guidelines highlighting the pillars of the revised SADC Mobile Money Guidelines and the key success factors to enhance the adoption of digital financial services using mobile money services.
Panel discussion on promoting financial inclusion and implementation of FATF standards with the aim of highlighting AML/CTPF risks in SADC and its impact on financial inclusion in SADC. Specific discussion areas will focus on steps being taken to address recommendations in Mutual Evaluation Reports for SADC member states on the FATF grey list.
Panel discussion on the role of non-banks in the digitisation of remittances in SADC with a focus on best practices by non-bank financial service providers in supporting the digitisation of payments (domestic and cross-border markets) agenda in SADC.
Presentation on the SADC CCBG Payments Subcommittee strategic focus areas with a specific focus on drivers of regional and national level financial inclusion such as regional e-KYC, cross-border remittances, regional payments interoperability and more.
Presentation on SADC FI and SME Access to Finance 2023–2028 implementation by Member States with a focus on the achievements of SADC Member States in the localisation and implementation of the SADC FI and SME Access to Finance 2023-2028 strategy.