The Monocle Banking Podcast

Following President Trump's return to the White House, and his renewed emphasis on an 'America First' agenda, Michael Avery was joined by industry experts from XA Global Trade Advisors - Donald MacKay, CEO, and Anneke Jansen van Vuuren, Manager of Data Solutions - to explore 'Trumponomics 2.0' and its potential impact on international trade relations. They unpacked how emerging markets, particularly South Africa, could be affected by shifts in U.S. trade policy, from potential changes to the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) to broader policy shifts that could disrupt key industries like steel and aluminium exports.

AI has transformed from a simple automation tool into a powerful catalyst for innovation in the banking sector. This week, Michael Avery was joined by Eshmael Mpabanga, Banking Client Account Lead at Accenture, to explore the profound impact AI is having on the industry. Eshmael shared his insights into how AI creates opportunities for revenue generation, enhances personalised customer experiences, as well as the balance between AI innovation and regulatory compliance. 

To the benefit of all South Africans, our payment landscape is set for a major transformation in the next 5 years. Michael Avery discussed these impending changes with Lincoln Mali, CEO of Lesaka Technologies and President of the newly formed Association of South African Payment Providers (ASAPP). Lincoln shared his insights on how the payment rails are being opened to non-bank players, the critical need for a regulatory framework that ensures fair competition, and the challenges and opportunities in driving digital payment adoption for both businesses and consumers in South Africa.

To provide insights from a quarter-century of navigating the complexities of African dealmaking, Michael Avery sat down with Funso Akere, Head of M&A Advisory for Africa Regions at Standard Bank Group.

This insightful conversation explored Nigeria's remarkable transformation, from the era of privatisation and the surge of cross-border M&A activity to the recent economic headwinds. Funso shared his unique perspective on these developments and offered valuable insights into the key drivers shaping the evolving M&A landscape in Africa today.

To understand the complexities of South Africa's energy transition, moving away from coal dependence towards a more sustainable future, Michael Avery sat down with Rentia van Tonder, Head of Renewable Energy, Power and Infrastructure at Standard Bank. They explored how regulatory shifts and declining renewable energy costs are expanding energy access across Africa. Rentia also elaborated on the delicate balance between economic growth, affordability, and ensuring a just transition for all communities.

To conclude the year, our final episode for 2024 explored the dynamic landscape of Africa's insurance industry. Michael Avery was joined by Andrew Warren, Director of Deloitte’s Financial Services Advisory Business Unit, where they delved into key insights from Deloitte’s Africa Insurance Outlook 2024/25.

From the resilience of South African insurers to the impact of digital innovation and climate change, they unpacked the complexities of Africa's insurance. Andrew also shared his expert views on the imperative for accessible insurance, the pressing issue of underinsurance, and a hopeful outlook for the future.

For decades, South Africa hasn't been able to fully leverage our sophisticated financial sector to facilitate capital flows into the country. Fortunately, new initiatives such as Operation Phumelela have been established by industry leaders to find ways to better stimulate economic growth and job creation through policy reforms and public-private partnerships. Michael Avery was joined by two of these industry leaders, Leila Fourie, Group CEO at the JSE, and Stuart Theobald, Chairman of Krutham, to share their ambitions and plans for Operation Phumelela and the challenges the initiative faces.

Join us as we celebrate our 50th episode of The Monocle Banking Podcast with a special guest, Emrie Brown, CEO of RMB. In this conversation with host Michael Avery, Emrie shared her unique perspective on navigating career progression as a "jungle gym" as well as outlining her strategic vision for RMB. She also explained her optimism about the future of M&A in South Africa, considering our improved political stability, a favourable interest rate outlook, and growing international interest.

As the world grapples with the urgent need to address climate change, David Buckham, CEO of Monocle, sat down with Michael Avery to discuss COP29 and the contradictions and hypocrisies within the climate change discourse. David highlighted South Africa's unique challenges, including heavy reliance on coal and limited access to climate finance. He emphasised the need for strategic policy decisions, private sector innovation and an equitable approach from developed countries to drive sustainable solutions.

With the world's eyes on COP29, Michael Avery sat down with Andrew Gilder, Director of Climate Legal, to unpack the intricacies of the ongoing climate summit. They explored the realistic expectations for this year's conference, the complexities of Article 6, and the potential global impact of a US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement under Trump's presidency.