Strategic reasons for Wise in South Africa

About this episode:

Host David Barton-Grimley, Fintech Strategy Director and Head of Product at 11:FS, is joined by a fantastic panel of guests as we dive into some of the biggest stories from the worlds of fintech, banking, and wider financial services this week.

Stories covered on the podcast this week include:

Wise has received its first regulatory licence in Africa. This licence allows Wise to offer cross-border money transfers to personal customers in South Africa, giving users access to faster, lower-cost international transfers with more transparent exchange rates than many legacy remittance services.

HSBC and Mistral AI have joined forces to accelerate AI adoption across the global bank. We take a closer look at what this partnership could mean for the wider industry.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has launched proposals to regulate ESG‑ratings providers, aiming to rebuild trust by introducing new rules for transparency, governance, and oversight. But can it deliver on these promises?

We also explore Revolut’s new “Street Mode” feature, designed to help combat transfer mugging. Meanwhile, David shares his thoughts on Visa’s push for digital wallets across Europe.

And to finish, there’s a cricket-themed challenge: can our panellists tell their cricket abbreviations from their fintech ones? Do they stand up to the test?

This week's guests:

• Aditi Subbarao, Account Executive at Snowflake

• James O’Sullivan, CEO and Founder of Nuke from Orbit

• Virginie O'Shea, Founder and CEO of Firebrand Research

Also featuring a voice note from:

• Nadia Costanzo - Director of Banking and Expansion in Latin America and the Middle East at Wise

Watch the 11:FS R.I.C.H.E.S Explores video here

Timestamps/stories

Intro - (00:00)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠Wise enters Africa-⁠(05:31)

HSBC and Mistral AI Join Forces to Accelerate AI Adoption Across Global Bank- (19:56)

⁠⁠⁠FCA aims to rebuild trust in ESG ratings- ⁠⁠⁠(36:59)

⁠Revolut launches 'street mode' to combat transfer mugging-⁠⁠⁠(50:29)

Visa in digital wallet push across Europe⁠-(1:01:37)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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Links to check out:

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About Fintech Insider:

Fintech Insider by 11:FS is a bi-weekly podcast that covers everything from finance and banking to technology and the latest trends in financial services.

Our expert hosts, with hands-on industry experience, are joined by key decision-makers, VCs, and top reporters from across the financial landscape, including guests from companies like Stripe, Revolut, Plaid, PayPal, and Monzo. Together, they break down the biggest news and innovations shaping the space.

Our weekly news show drops every Monday, covering major stories like mergers, new product launches, regulatory shifts, and emerging tech trends. On Thursdays, our Insights show goes deeper into the hottest topics driving the future of finance, including AI in banking, decentralised finance, and the evolving landscape of embedded finance.

Whether you're already in the fintech game or just starting to explore, this is the #1 podcast for you.

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Got a question for us? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠podcasts@11fs.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

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