Africa Inclusive Finance Week 2025 Emphasized Innovation and Diverse Approaches to Addressing the Access to Finance Gap in Africa

More than one in four people in Sub-Saharan Africa lack access to financial services, which limits their ability to overcome persistent and new crises, notably conflict, climate disruptions and migration.

Recent and ongoing crises across the continent and world have deepened the barriers to financial inclusion, as reflected in the 2025 Africa Inclusive Finance Week conference theme, “(Re)focusing on vulnerable people to meet upcoming challenges in inclusive finance”. From refugees without identity papers unable to receive remittances, farmers affected by severe floods or drought unable to access relief funds due to missing paperwork, remote residents unable to access even basic banking services or women and young entrepreneurs refused loans due to lack of collateral or formal employment. The cases are as diverse as they are numerous.