Will Facebook's Digital Currency Libra Be Good For Africa? feat. Michael Kimani & Simon Dingle

Will Facebook's Digital Currency Libra Be Good For Africa? feat. Michael Kimani & Simon Dingle

Author: African Tech Roundup July 19, 2019 Duration: 1:01:20
In this in-studio taping of the African Tech Roundup podcast, Andile Masuku is joined by the Kenyan digital money analyst Michael Kimani and the South African crypto entrepreneur Simon Dingle to discuss how Libra and the proposed Calibra network stacks up against existing cryptocurrency concepts like Bitcoin, and to establish whether or not Facebook's digital currency might be good for Africa. It's safe to say that the world hasn't been quite the same since Facebook and its high-powered corporate collaborators - Visa, MasterCard, Uber, Spotify, South Africa's PayU and several others - revealed plans to re-imagine global finance using a digital coin called Libra— an idea that, according to the Libra whitepaper, is set to be backed by a reserve of actual currencies and assets. This show was taped prior to US President Donald Trump forcefully panning cryptocurrencies in a public statement earlier this week. His provocative sentiments came in the wake of lawmakers in the US and Europe demanding that The Libra Association's plans be placed on hold pending formal investigations. Meanwhile, in Africa, policymakers will also need to grapple with many of the concerns being raised about Libra abroad. In this episode, Andile, Simon and Michael delve into issues that African lawmakers would do well to apply their minds to. Listen in to hear the trio unpack why Libra is potentially an ingenious innovation that - if permitted by regulators - could do much to advance financial inclusion on the continent, but, equally, a potentially hazardous vehicle which could enable Facebook & Co. to wield unprecedented economic control over Africa's future. Image credit: Maksim Shutov

For nearly a decade, the African Tech Roundup Podcast has served as a vital listening post for anyone serious about understanding the continent's digital transformation. Hosted by co-founders Andile Masuku and Musa Kalenga, this long-running series moves beyond surface-level headlines to foster genuine, substantive dialogue. Each episode convenes a dynamic mix of startup founders, venture capitalists, policymakers, and established tech leaders, creating a unique space where strategy, critique, and opportunity intersect. The conversations you'll hear are unfiltered and forward-looking, grounded in local realities while maintaining a necessary global outlook. Tuning into this podcast means gaining access to the nuanced discussions that shape Africa's technology, business, and entrepreneurship landscapes from the ground up. It’s less about hype and more about the hard questions, the lessons from both failures and successes, and the collaborative thinking required to build sustainably. If your work or curiosity is connected to Africa's economic future, African Tech Roundup provides the context and clarity often missing from mainstream coverage, making it an indispensable resource for informed perspective and actionable insight.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

African Tech Roundup Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Seyi Ebenezer of Payaza: Bookkeeping is the new black [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:17:49
Episode overview:Seyi Ebenezer didn't come to fintech from a hackathon or an accelerator. He came from KPMG's audit desks and Access Bank's corporate finance floors. These are environments where the numbers had to add up…