Flutterwave’s GB Agboola, MTN’s Mcebisi Jonas, and Standard Bank’s Sim Tshabalala stole our hearts at Semafor’s 3 billion summit, held at The Pierre, New York City, on September 24, 2024, on the sidelines of UNGA79.
Agboola, who co-founded Flutterwave in 2016 participated in a fireside chat with Briana Wilsey VP & GM, Network Partnerships EMEA, American Express, moderated by Marcus Brauchli, Semafor Contributor while Jonas, the chairman of MTN Group was in conversation with Cina Lawson Minister of Digital Economy and Transformation, Togo; John Gusti Chief Regulatory Officer, GSMA; and Amna Nawaz Co-Anchor of PBS NewsHour and Semafor Contributor. The Standard bank CEO Sim Tshabalala spoke with Alexis Akwagyiram, Managing Editor, Semafor Africain what proved to be a robust masterclass on the reforms needed across the continent to attract foreign direct investments.
Agboola has now confirmed that Flutterwave and American Express are working to help merchants and customers access a myriad of payment options not just in Africa but around the world to ensure they enjoy seamless payment solutions. In his words, “Our goal is to build a one stop shop for our merchants to get paid anywhere in the world”.
MTN’S Jonas explained how MTN helps Africans across the continent connect to the digital economy and told moderator Amna Nawaz Co-Anchor of PBS NewsHour and Semafor Contributor, “there is a need to have uniformity and alignment of policy across the continent to reduce the digital usage gap and curb its economic and social impact” while Tshabalala challenged credit rating agencies and the west to ensure idiosyncrasies and biases do not take precedence.
