Breaking Banks Driving Digital Growth in Africa: From Vision to Execution
Nov 13, 2025
Sandra Yao, Ecobank's Group Head for Cross-Border Remittance and Payments, shares her 20 years of fintech expertise. She discusses the critical need for interoperability across Africa's payments landscape and how Ecobank tackles challenges in reaching underserved users. Sandra highlights their innovative API-first platform and strategic tech partnerships, including with Google, to empower local talent and support fintech growth. With a focus on embracing startup agility within a bank, she sheds light on the future of Africa's digital finance.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Two Decades In Africa Began With Huawei
- Sandra moved to Africa 20 years ago, starting with Huawei building telecom networks and settling in Nairobi.
- She made Kenya her home and has stayed involved in the continent's tech and payments evolution.
Interoperability Is The Core Payment Challenge
- Africa's payment challenge is fragmentation across 54 countries with separate regulators and siloed systems.
- Interoperability is the single most important lever to reduce cost, latency, and complexity of cross-border payments.
Scale Plus Agility Multiplies Impact
- Combining startup agility with a large bank's stability creates a powerful platform to tackle continental problems.
- Ecobank's scale and reputation for safety amplify fast innovation when paired with builder mindsets.