IFC Trendlines

In this episode of IFC Trendlines, Ethiopis Tafara, IFC's Vice President for Africa, speaks with Leslie Maasdorp, CEO of British International Investment, about why local capital markets are central to closing Africa's financing gap. Private capital mobilization in Africa by the World Bank Group nearly tripled in fiscal year 2026, but meeting the continent's needs requires greater scale. The conversation explores the market conditions, instruments, and partnerships needed to channel investment into businesses that create jobs and drive growth.

How can the global insurance industry help unlock private capital at scale for investment in emerging markets? IFC's Jamie Smouse speaks with Mark Harwood of AXIS Capital about how well-structured risk can create attractive opportunities in emerging markets and how IFC partners with insurers to expand lending to businesses that create jobs and drive economic growth.

In this episode of IFC Trendlines, host Farid Fezoua speaks with David Arana, CEO and founder of Konfio, a financial services platform dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized enterprises in Mexico. They explore the challenges SMEs face in accessing traditional finance and how Konfio leverages data and AI to provide loans to businesses often overlooked by banks.

In this episode of IFC Trendlines, Ivy Kuperberg, IFC Country Officer for Haiti and the Bahamas, speaks with Tamara Guerin Barrau, CFO and Vice President of Caribbean Bottling Company, one of Haiti's largest employers. They discuss what it means to operate, invest, and create jobs in a country facing overlapping crises and why a resilient private sector remains essential to Haiti's future

In this candid conversation, IFC Managing Director Makhtar Diop sits down with Aliko Dangote, Africa's leading industrialist to explore the scale and urgency of building the continent's economic future. Dangote reflects on his ambitions in energy, fertilizer, water and logistics, while making the case for African-led investment.

The discussion tackles persistent barriers like visa restrictions, costly intra-African trade, and fragmented markets, and the investments needed to overcome them. Dangote also shares his journey from early cement trading to building a global industrial powerhouse. With IFC's support in focus, the conversation centers on turning ambition into results.

Risk is often what stands between small businesses in emerging markets and the capital they need to grow. In this episode of IFC Trendlines, Mahfuza Afroz, IFC's Global Head of Credit Insurance, Syndicated Loans and Mobilization, sits down with Daniel Riordan, Head of Political Risk, Credit & Surety at MSIG USA - one of the world's largest insurance groups - to explore how credit insurance is reshaping development finance.

IFC's latest Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Program (MCPP) for credit insurers is a $6 billion facility backed by 19 global insurers. Daniel shares what drew MSIG USA to the program as a first-time participant, and how such partnerships facilitate capital flows to small businesses in emerging markets.

Show Notes:

Learn More About...

• The World Bank Group's latest credit insurance facilty

• IFC's Managed Co-Lending Portfolio Program

• Credit Insurance at IFC

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• Email: [email protected]

• Website: www.ifc.org

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Attracting private investment into developing countries is crucial for their development. In this first episode of IFC Trendlines, IFC Vice President and Chief Financial Officer John Gandolfo joins host Daisy Serem to discuss what this means for investors, how IFC – a member of the World Bank Group - helps manage risk in emerging markets, and the financial instruments being used to mobilize more private capital. The episode also explores where investment opportunities are emerging and which sectors are driving jobs and growth across developing economies.

Show Notes:

Learn More About...

• The Emerging Markets Securitization Program

• The World Bank Group's Global Economic Prospects Report

• The Global Emerging Markets Risk Database (GEMs) Consortium

• MIGA and The World Bank Group Guarantee Platform

Listen & Subscribe

Stay up to date with the latest trends shaping emerging markets and development finance:

• Subscribe to the podcast: Spotify | Apple Podcasts

• Sign up for the IFC Trendlines Newsletter: Subscribe Here!

• Listen to new episodes: IFC Podcasts

Contact Info

• Email: [email protected]

• Website: www.ifc.org

• Twitter: @IFC_org

• LinkedIn: IFC LinkedIn