Pathing the way for resilience, Together

2020 is an unprecedented year! The Covid-19 outbreak has disrupted our status quo and our way of working and interacting with our family and colleagues. A fundamental change is underway with long lasting implications. As a new normal set in, we will have to adapt if we are to survive.

During the last 11 years, Africa Forward Together has evolved into an annual event of discussion and reflection for CEOs and bankers from across the continent, who have the ambition to shape the business of tomorrow. At MCB, we had to find new ways to keep the momentum among the AFT community and overcome the barriers imposed by Covid-19. It was a challenging task, and we did it!

E-AFT 2020 was a special event, with 4 distinct webinars focusing on topical issues, under a common theme that echoes the current exceptional situation: "Building Resilience Together". E-AFT 2020 hosted 63 external attendees from 44 organizations across 23 countries, with an in-depth reflection on issues of growing importance.

MCB Group has been able to share its experiences and challenges during the pandemic crisis, including the shift in priorities from last year’s Meeting of Minds challenges while listening to what others in Africa are facing, as echoed by Dr. James Mwangi and Dr. Diane Karusisi, two CEOs from Kenya and Rwanda.

We discussed on digitization and digitilisation with emphasis on security and integration strategy.

We took note of the deployment of payments solutions towards a safer and cash lite economy and the adaptability of our customers who made use of digital payments, to maintain the resilience of their businesses.

We also looked at challenges faced by various organizations in Africa, the measures deployed during the Covid-19 Crisis and the importance of maintaining continuity and support amidst a turbulent situation.

AFT 2020 was above all an opportunity to connect around themes of common interest during this turmoil. It is comforting that during a crisis, we can still get together and share experiences so that we can learn from one another on how we can best handle our problems and meet our challenges. This is the spirit of Africa Forward Together.