TH!NK

Once considered unconventional, container houses are now gaining traction as affordable, sustainable, and stylish alternatives to traditional concrete structures. And for the first time in Mauritius, MCB is offering mortgage financing for this type of dwelling—partnering with local pioneers Velogic and Sunbox. 

Tune in as we bust myths, explore benefits, and talk financing with MCB’s Jean-Lou Rosse, Velogic’s Grégory de Comarmond, and Sunbox’s Vincent Mamet.

In this latest episode of the MCB Talk podcast, the bank’s Heads of Domestic Banking and Retail, Anju Umrowsing Ramtohul and Bernard Jackson, discuss what it really means to serve 1.2 million customers. 

They do not shy away from addressing ongoing challenges; from the country’s cash dependency and digital hesitation to national staffing dynamics. But they also highlight solutions—enhanced customer service training, development of clear career paths to reduce staff turnover, and a focus on financial literacy to empower customers to self-serve on the bank’s digital platforms. 

From the #KAPAV mindset to tackling digital anxiety, it’s all about building trust, digital confidence, and better banking for all.

We all know plastic is a problem. We all know we should reduce, refuse, recycle etc but there’s a disconnect between what we know and what we do. That’s why plastic pollution is so complex: it’s down not just to the amount of plastic we consume but also the type of plastic and what it’s used for. But above all, it’s how we anticipate its end of life and how we dispose of it. 

Learn more about the plastic conundrum in the latest episode of MCB Talk featuring Plastic Odyssey, Simon Bernard, Gregory Martin, Mickael Apaya, Vanessa de Speville, ENL/Rogers

As this year’s MCB Trade Week gets underway, the bank’s experts continue highlighting the importance of MCB’s knowledge of the continent for business. Jessen Coolen and Arnaud Levasseur, the authors of a recently launched report on trade based on on-the-ground knowledge of Africa and insights gained from last year’s Trade Week, say that risks can only be navigated when they are properly understood.

Download the MCB Trade Report 2025:
on.mcb.mu/trade-report

As MCB officially opens its Representative in Lagos, Nigeria, marking its first permanent presence in West Africa, the bureau’s Chief Representative Officer, Abiodun Azeez, talks to us about how the bank is currently supporting Nigerian banks and their clients while also enabling Indigenous companies to acquire assets as International Oil Companies divest. 

Find out more about MCB’s African agenda in this latest episode of MCB Talk.

“The threat of disinformation is bigger than climate change” 

Geopolitical expert Francois Gemenne says the US withdrawal from international cooperation is bad news for the fight against climate change but urges companies to keep investing in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

In this latest episode of MCB Talk, this member of the IPCC comments on current affairs, including the impact of recent US Executive orders on the world, whilst warning that disinformation is currently the biggest threat we face. He also urges African countries to continue to invest in renewable energies even as they continue to need fossil fuels to meet their development needs. 

Gender equality has made important strides in the workplace these past years. At MCB, for instance, an array of progressive measures meant to support employees in their role as parents has been introduced over the years. But women are struggling to balance motherhood and work, frequently having to choose one over the other.  

In the latest episode of MCB Talk, three women, Hema Cederhague, Head of Securities at MCB, Anne Claire Antoinette, Sustainability Lead at the bank and Shakila Badouraly, MCB’s Diversity and Inclusion Lead, open up about what it takes to climb the career ladder and parent simultaneously. As the world marks International Women’s Day 2025, they discuss the progress made in Mauritius and the new challenges arising from the notion of “equality.” 

And conclude that instead of seeing parenthood as a constraint for employees, employers and policymakers should reflect on their role in fostering a healthy society made up of functioning families, both as a demographic and economic imperative. 

In this first episode of season 2 of the MCB Talk podcast, CEO Thierry Hebraud speaks out against what he calls the hypocrisy of Northern countries. He says G7 countries represent 25% of all CO2 emissions, while Africa, with only 4% of CO2 emissions, is bearing not only the brunt of climate change but also underdevelopment, with 600 million people without access to electricity. He says the continent needs to join forces to defend its right to a sustainable development under a Just Transition approach. 

MCB runs not just the country’s biggest bank but also… rather incongruously, Mauritius’ biggest… restaurant! In this final episode of MCB Talk for 2024, we tell the story of how a company that employs over 3000 people engaged in wide-ranging activities—from financial markets to media and catering and, yes, good old banking—views its responsibilities towards them.

We talk about how a decision taken more than 30 years ago to provide its employees with well-balanced, home-cooked style meals at an affordable price now impacts the company, the economy, and society as a whole. 

Featuring Enrico Rodati, Catering Manager and Karuna Gungah, Restaurant Administrator at MCB.

“Hire for attitude and train for skill” is MCB Group head of HR Allan Freed’s recommendation for facing the disruption technology is unleashing in the world of work as jobs evolve and new ones are created to cater to the changing expectations of a markedly younger workforce.  

In the latest episode of MCB Talk, Allan Freed and Krystel Bernard Knappova, MCB’s People Strategy Partner, discuss the cultural shift in the HR world and what companies like MCB can do to find and keep the best talent.

• 00:00 The Evolving World of Work
• 13:36 Hiring for Attitude and Training for Skills
• 17:54 Becoming an Employer of Choice
• 17:58 Equal Pay Certification and Workplace Flexibility
• 22:46 Education's Role in Workplace Preparation