Mauritius Africa Fintech Hub (MAFH) is proud to announce the graduation of its third cohort of university students from the ‘Future Fintech Champions’ (FFC) industry programme that was held at MCB Auditorium St-Jean on the 13th February 2024, sponsored by the Mauritius Commercial Bank (MCB). As part of FFC programme, the selected students represent a range of esteemed universities, including Middlesex University, University of Mauritius, Curtin University, The Open University of Mauritius, Université Des Mascareignes, Polytechnics Mauritius, and Rushmore Business School Mauritius. Throughout the programme, these students participated in practical projects, workshops, and networking sessions to deepen their understanding of the latest Fintech trends and technologies and connect with experts and thought leaders within the Mauritian Fintech ecosystem.
The FFC programme is a skills and capacity-building initiative developed by the Mauritius Africa Fintech Hub. The first edition was run in 2021, and MCB has been the exclusive sponsor for the last two years. In 2023, the programme was launched in May and concluded in December. This programme aims to grow talent and future leaders for the Fintech sector by immersing a cohort of specially selected students into the local Fintech ecosystem. The programme is designed in a way that gives the students a taste of the real business world through various exercises, with exposure to what’s happening in the Fintech arena, through participation in all of MAFH’s workshops, events, regulatory roundtables, internships, and other initiatives, building their knowledge of the technologies, opportunities, and challenges facing the industry. The participants consequently become ambassadors for the Fintech sector by organising Fintech awareness-raising events and initiatives on their home university campuses. Through research for opinion pieces and the development of campus events, they build industry-ready skills such as communication, problem-solving, leadership, and professionalism. In line with MAFH’s extended standing mission to bridge the gap between curricula and industry. The participants are consequently expected to inspire the next generation of aspiring Fintech professionals through their skills, ideas, and achievements.
As part of their awareness-raising events, the FFC 2023 cohort, under MAFH’s supervision, designed and organised the 1stFintech Youth Summit in Mauritius. The Fintech Youth summit 2023 was set as the flagship event of the programme by the 24 Future Fintech Champion delegates working as an inter-mural cohort to deliver a two days event bringing together a total of 90 participants (secondary and tertiary education level) for them to engage in knowledge sharing with thought leaders and experts within the Fintech industry. The event’s objective was to engage the Youth in developing the Fintech industry, understand real world challenges and pitch potential viable solutions. During this initiative, recognition was given to the most innovative and effective solutions proposed by the participating teams on the below themes, as provided as industry problem statements provided by the MCB: – Banking for Digital Natives – Disruptive Banking for SMEs and Corporates – Internet of Things (IoT) & Banking.
Benazeer Saïdoo, CEO Mauritius Africa Fintech Hub, shared a valuable message to the graduating cohort, “I hope you leave this programme with growth, not only from a professional standpoint, but as individuals in your own respective personal journeys. Outside of Fintech from a technical perspective, I hope you developed insights, connections and gained new ideas of how to thrive within this space, on top of the degrees you are currently studying”.
Browsing on the FFC’s journey to date, Vishal Ramphul, Innovation Management Lead, The Mauritius Commercial Bank added that in this second year of exclusive sponsorship of the FFC Programme, MCB has had the opportunity to further contribute to this skills and capacity-building initiative by MAFH on numerous fronts. He also seized the opportunity to felicitate all students present. He encouraged them to continue their endeavors to further deepen their knowledge and growth in their FinTech Ambassador roles.
With this cohort closing, MAFH will be opening registration for the 2024 cohort in the coming weeks and will be communicated via our social media platforms and website. The programme is open to university students in Mauritius who are interested in gaining skills and knowledge in the FinTech industry whereby they can access a range of initiatives relevant to the industry organized by MAFH and partners. Students who successfully complete the programme augment their chances to pursue careers in the FinTech industry and contribute to the development of the sector in Mauritius.
The programme’s success highlights the importance of public-private partnerships in addressing the skills gap in emerging industries and the value of collaboration in driving innovation and growth. MAFH would like to thank the MCB for their continued programme sponsorship.
About The Mauritius Africa FinTech Hub (MAFH)
The Mauritius Africa FinTech Hub is the official FinTechassociation for the island of Mauritius. The organization contributes to the development of FinTech in Mauritius and across Africa, with the mission of enabling a digital economy, supporting financial inclusion and digital financial literacy. It is a fast-growing pan-african ecosystem where entrepreneurs, corporations, governments, tech experts, investors, financial service providers, universities and research institutions can collaborate to build cutting-edge solutions for the emerging African market.
About MCB
MCB is Mauritius’s longest-standing and leading banking institution, offering a comprehensive range of tailored and innovative solutions to its retail, corporate, and institutional clients. MCB’s rich history, commitment to customer service and excellence, innovative culture, and high-quality employees have underpinned its solid franchise and long track record of sustainable profitability and financial soundness. As a testament to its successful business model, it received several awards and recognitions, including the the ‘Bank of the Year for Mauritius’ by The Banker/FT Magazine for the sixth time in eight years, as well as the 4th ‘Strongest Bank by Balance Sheet in Africa by the Asian Banker in 2022. Whilst actively involved in various markets across sub-Saharan Africa, MCB has also established a physical presence in 10 countries overseas via its subsidiaries in Madagascar, Seychelles, and Maldives, its representative offices in Johannesburg, Nairobi, Paris, and Dubai, as well as its associates, Société Générale Moçambique and Banque FrançaiseCommerciale Océan Indien (BFCOI – operating in RéunionIsland, Mayotte, and Paris)
