Financial Inclusion Unlocked
The podcast meeting innovators and sector leaders who are unlocking the potential of financial inclusion as an enabler of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through a mix of in-depth conversations and documentary-style storytelling, the podcast highlights the people and projects driving meaningful change, while also exploring the big questions the sector needs to confront to move forward. Produced by SIJ Media.
Episodes
S3 EP1 - What's The True Cost of Digital Finance with Willie Blackmon (IPA) and Francis Annan (UC Berkeley)
Digital financial services have been one of the most significant development stories of the last two decades. Across sub-Saharan Africa and beyond, DFS has extended financial access to hundreds of millions of people, enabling remittances, savings, small business payments, and emergency transfers in ways that were simply impossible before. But scale brings scrutiny. As adoption deepens and DFS reac
S2 EP10 - Human Wildlife Conflict Insurance and Closing the Protection Gap in Africa
The global insurance industry has spent centuries developing tools to manage risk, yet the people most exposed to climate shocks, from smallholder farmers to displaced communities, have historically been the least able to access them. Humanity Insured is an industry backed charity working to close that gap, with an ambition to make £2 billion in insurance coverage accessible to 30 million people b
S2 EP9 - Navigating Consumer Rights in the Mobile Money Era with Kennedy Kipkemboi, GSMA
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
S2 EP8 - How Can Financial Institutions Climate-Proof Their Portfolios? Insights from Andrée Simon (FINCA Global CEO) and Peter Zetterli (Green Lead, CGAP)
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 wi
S2 EP7 - 70 Million Views: Driving Financial Literacy through Edutainment in Central Asia
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 guestsBuazhar 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 soci
S2 EP6 - Addressing the Systemic Barriers to Women’s Financial Inclusion with Gayatri Murthy, Gender Lead at CGAP
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, fra
S2 EP5 - How a TV Drama Can Change Financial Behaviours in Kenya with Rahma Seif, Producer at Mediae
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 appr
S2 EP4 - How Vision Fund is Building Client Resilience through Inclusive Insurance with Solène Podevin Favre, Global Director for Inclusive Insurance
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 microfinan
S2 EP3 - Transforming Remittances Into Opportunity Across the African Continent
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.
S2 EP2 - Building a Climate Insurance Tech Startup with Maria Mateo Iborra, Founder of IBISA
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 Di
S2 EP1 - How Can Financial Institutions Better Serve Clients with Disabilities?
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 episo
BONUS – 2025 European Microfinance Award Winner Radiant Yacu on their Inclusive Insurance Journey
Episode Sponsored by the Microinsurance NetworkIn 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),
BONUS - Central Bank Governor on How the Solomon Islands Is Going Digital
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 challe
S1 EP10 - The Fintech Daring Farmers in Africa To Dream Big!
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 Bj
S1 EP9 - Reimagining Insurance for the Missing Middle with Garance Wattez-Richard, Founder & CEO of AXA EssentiALL
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,
S1 EP8 - Tackling the $170 BILLION annual financing gap for smallholder farmers with Tim Strong, Head of Agricultural Finance at Opportunity International
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
S1 EP7 - How GSMA and Visa are advancing Digital Financial Literacy in Africa
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
S1 EP6 - Supporting Countries to Prepare and Respond Quickly to Climate Disasters with Nilesh Prakash, Co-Director of Global Shield against Climate Risks
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 Sh
S1 EP5 - A New Approach to Financial Inclusion with Sophie Sirtaine, CEO of CGAP
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
S1 EP4 - The Transformative Power of Saving Groups with Jeff Ashe
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 ye
S1 EP3 - How a Bank In Uganda Is Providing Access To Finance For Refugees
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
S1 EP2 - How Parametric Insurance is Protecting Communities in Fiji Against Cyclones and Flooding
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—aro
S1 EP1 - The Potential of Fast Payments with The World Bank
In the first episode of the new Financial Inclusion Unlocked podcast, Jack met with Thomas Yann Piveteau, Financial Sector Specialist at The World Bank to learn about Project FASTT. Thomas explained the objectives of the project, which aims to develop fast payment systems globally. The discussion covers the benefits of these systems, the role of central banks, challenges in implementation, and th
Series 1 Trailer!
Financial Inclusion Unlocked is launching on 24th March!!The new podcast series is on a journey to learn how we can unlock the potential of financial inclusion as an enabler for the 17 UN SDGs.From the heights of Uganda's Rwenzori Mountains to the islands of Fiji, we're uncovering stories of breakthrough solutions covering topics from parametric insurance protecting communities against c
