853. Focus: How is Egypt is attracting international investment to bank the unbanked

In season two of Fintech Insider Focus, in collaboration with Visa, our expert hosts, 11:FS' Benjamin Ensor alongside Visa's Malak Hisham El Baba, shine a light on fintech in different parts of the world. In the first part of this season we hone in on the Middle East’s booming financial sector, and speak to the people right at the heart of it.

In this episode they take a closer look at Egypt, one of the most populous countries in the world, and one of the largest economies in Africa. However, a significant part of their population remains unbanked, with access to financial services an ongoing challenge. They discuss Egypt’s financial system, the current opportunities for fintechs, and how they can support continued growth in the country.

This week's guests include

• Malak Hisham El Baba, Vice President and Head of Egypt at Visa
• Walid Hassouna, CEO, Valu

Highlights from this episode:

• An overview of the current financial landscape in Egypt (04:35)
• The biggest fintechs in Egypt (09:13)
• The importance of national schemes in growing infrastructure (14:40)
• Opportunities for growth in Egypt (26:38)
• How to create material benefits for the economy (29:16)
• Do fintechs need to partner with banks? (32:59)
• The importance of capital and international investment (36:58)

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This episode is sponsored by Visa

Fintech Insider by 11:FS is a bi-weekly podcast dedicated to all things finance, banking, technology, and financial services. 

Our expert hosts, with real industry experience, are joined by the biggest decision-makers, VCs, and reporters from across financial services including guests from Visa, Nubank, M-Pesa, Starling, and JP Morgan Chase to discuss the latest news, developments, and trends within the industry.

Our weekly news show drops every Monday and tackles the biggest news stories, from acquisitions and launches, to regulatory changes and innovation. Then, every Friday our Insights show dives deeper into the hottest topics shaping the industry like web3 and BNPL.

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