Disruptors' Panel: Private Sector Champions Building the Future
2024 Theme
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of economies worldwide, accounting for over two-thirds of global employment and playing a critical role in job creation and economic resilience. However, persistent financing gaps limit their potential to drive inclusive growth and recovery from economic shocks.
The G20 Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI) MSME Action Plan provides a timely framework to address these challenges, fostering resilience and innovation among SMEs while aligning with sustainable development goals (SDGs). The Global SME Finance Forum, an official side event of the G20 South African Presidency, will present GPFI’s comprehensive roadmap to address the systemic barriers hindering SMEs’ access to finance.
G20 MSME Action Plan: Financing and Policy Enablers
Resilient Value Chains: Strengthen sustainable sourcing, fair labour practices, and circular economy models to future-proof SMEs against disruptions.
Tailored Financial Solutions: Provide customised financial tools to promote the financial health and stability of micro and small enterprises.
Scaling Success Stories: Highlight examples of SMEs achieving growth through innovative financing models and sustainable business frameworks.
Digital Innovation: Powering SME Growth and Global Competitiveness
Value Chain Integration: Highlight success stories of SMEs scaling through digital integration, such as streamlined supply chains or cross-border e-commerce platforms.
Global Reach: Equip SMEs with technology to compete internationally, from cloud based accounting systems to AI-driven market analytics.
Empowering SMEs in Sustainability, Resilience and Growth
Policy Reforms: Promoting policies that facilitate working capital, trade finance, and digital payments while supporting financial technologies that simplify SME operations.
Public-Private Partnerships: Encouraging collaboration between governments, financial institutions, and private sector stakeholders to mobilize resources, mitigate risks, and scale impactful solutions
Synopsis:
This panel showcased financial services disruptors who had transformed their markets through innovative technology and customer-centric approaches.
These private sector pioneers addressed critical financial inclusion gaps in emerging markets where traditional banking had failed to serve SMEs and underbanked populations. Their success demonstrated how regulatory flexibility and technological innovation could create scalable solutions for financial inclusion.
The panel explored how these companies navigated regulatory challenges, built customer trust, and scaled across diverse markets. Discussions covered partnership strategies with retailers and fintechs, the role of data analytics in risk management, and collaborative approaches to ecosystem development that brought together traditional banks, payment processors, and technology providers to serve previously excluded market segments.
Speakers:
Aliou Maïga, Regional Industry Director, Financial Institutions Group, Africa, International Finance Corporation
Daniella Keet, Head of Strategic Partnerships, FNB Commercial
Karl Westvig, Chief Executive Officer, Tyme Bank SA
Pearl Nkrumah, Africa Head, Retail & Digital Banking (Excl. Nigeria), Access Bank Plc
Moderator:
Sopnendu Mohanty, Group Chief Executive Officer, Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN)