An insider view on the MEA Connect event | FinTrends

Description

What if finance really did start at the grassroots level? In this new episode of Fintrends, I’m joined by Camil Bennani-Smirez, General Manager of SBP Core Amplitude at SBS, ahead of the Connect MEA event in Douala (24 March) and Abidjan (26 and 27 March). Camil explains how an event launched a few years ago in Abidjan has become an unmissable gathering for African banks, to the point of inspiring all regions within SBS. Spanning financial inclusion, microfinance, data, AI and digitalisation, he shares a strong conviction: it is locally devised solutions (sometimes co-designed directly with clients) that truly transform access to financial services. A discussion firmly rooted in African realities.

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Welcome to FinTrends, the podcast series dedicated to the trends and news in the fintech sector with experts. Today, I am happy to welcome Camille Benagny-Smirèze on a very special occasion, because we are going to talk about the MEA Connect event 2026, our flagship event returning for its fourth edition. And there is two key stops, one in Douala on March 24 and one in Abidjan on March 26 and March 27. So Camille, you work at SBS, you are general manager for the Amplitude core team and you are based in Casablanca. So you work closely with... teams across the organization, and you are also involved in initiatives such as the podcast series and also the SBS content in general. So it's a pleasure to have you here today.
Speaker #1
Pleasure is mine too. Thank you.
Speaker #0
So Camille, I've briefly introduced you, but can you quickly introduce yourself with your own words?
Speaker #1
Thank you. Thank you very much. I'm very glad to be here. I'm into my fourth year. at SBS. I started as a head of operations in North Africa and since our reorganization two years ago, I'm happy to be the general manager of Amplitude, working with amazing teams for more than 240 banks across Africa. And I'm very happy to be here to talk about our Connect, our flagship event.
Speaker #0
So why was it created in the first place?
Speaker #1
Connect started three years ago. It's a testimony of our, let's say, core transformation within SBS. We try to be more client-focused, more market-led, and Connect shows everything about that. So when we created Connect, the first one was in Abidjan in 2023, under the sponsorship of Raoul Fomeny and Eric Bieri. It was the first time we created such an event at SBS level. Our goal was to have more client intimacy. and show our clients what we were doing linked to their market. It was a success in a one-day event, such a success that we had three more events since then, in Marrakech and Casablanca, and this year with Douala and Abidjan in one week. And the experience was also inspiring for all the other regions at SBS, and they all now have their Connect every year. where they meet clients and discuss, let's say, strategic topics, operational topics, and of course, product topics.
Speaker #0
So you said that the initiative started three years ago. How has it evolved over the last few years?
Speaker #1
Well, the team in charge of this is an amazing team. And I have to give my hats off to them because they do miracles every year. It's always logistics, very complex logistics, very... deep and interesting topics that we cover. And each year is a success, and I'm glad we have that. The difference we had, the first year was a one-day event. It was like a test of what we were trying to do. But the following years, we went deeper into the organization, doing more presentation, more demos about our product. We did more executive meetings with our clients, both on strategic topics or operational topics. Because the luck we have, you know, Amplitude has such a large install base with more than 240 banks. Having most of our clients in one place is just a gift. And when I say all our clients, it's around 150 to 200 people attending the Connect. So it has evolved in part by the success and the presence of our customers.
Speaker #0
So you said that. It has been a success. Is it the only reason why there's two events this year?
Speaker #1
No, it's not the only reason, of course. Amplitude is a core banking leader in Africa, French-speaking Africa. We have 60% of market share in Western Africa and Central Africa. The idea between these two connects is to be close to our clients, close to our markets. And those are the two markets where we are. Present and that counts for it So our goal was to adapt the connect. One is going to be in Douala. We're going to talk more about microfinance, more about operational efficiency. In Abidjan, we're going to talk also microfinance, of course, but more about maybe the digital part of it and more about regulatory projects around payments and also for cross-border operations for banking groups.
Speaker #0
um So you mentioned the fact that the topics will be different according to the region. How does the event reflect the social and economic realities of each host?
Speaker #1
Well, there are going to be same topics around technology, around our innovations, with data, with AI, and also the API openness of our solution, because I think it's a game changer for the, let's say, the... progress of banking in Africa. But we will look at more operational topics. In Douala, we will try to look at examples of microfinance and how we can help our clients evolve in their processes and tools. Whereas in Abidjan, we might have more focus on the data, on AI and on the payment part.
Speaker #0
And do you have a concrete example of a topic? similar topic that will be addressed differently in Abidjan and in Douala?
Speaker #1
Yes. The goal we have in Douala, since we have many microfinance institutions there, is to do a more hands-on workshop with them to tackle more operational topics. Whereas in Abidjan, it's going to be more about how we industrialize the data journey of their clients. So that's the main difference between these two.
Speaker #0
I'm curious about one last thing. Can we expect any surprises this year?
Speaker #1
Well, an MEA Connect without a surprise is not an MEA Connect. The other thing is that I cannot disclose anything. Otherwise, I can have a lot of problems with the marketing team, the amazing marketing team.
Speaker #0
Yeah.
Speaker #1
But there will be a surprise and it's a secret. That's all I can say.
Speaker #0
Okay. I long for it. So, an important topic. for Disconnect 2026 will be the fact that tailored services are very important. Services must be tailored to the specific needs of the populations, whether they are individuals, artisans, SMEs, or large corporations. It's a topic that's really important for SVS. And I don't know if you remember, but last year we launched our first... Banking is local article and you find it. The name of the article was how digital wallets helped transform the lives of millions in Africa. And this very example shows that tailored solutions are a game changer. So I was wondering, how can a bank adapt its services to its customer? You know,
Speaker #1
In any business in the world, if you start with the customer need, you're not far from the truth. For the banks, if they start with the customer need, they will know what they need to do. I will give some examples. For the, let's say, young urban population, they will want quick access to financial services, let's say digital onboarding, everything fast, everything on the phone. If I go... Further, if you take artisans or small companies, they will want easy access to loans, easy tooling for the treasury. And then if you go to farmers or maybe remote people in a remote area, they will want maybe a network that can give them those kind of services because banks are not everywhere. They will also want easier access to loans. And then if you go to the corporate world, you will have... a lot of needs in terms of treasury, in terms of payments, cross-border payments, in terms of let's say regulatory requirements and most of those kind of services. All these needs with all these client segments, they have one thing in common, you need a modular core banking system to help you address all of these and that's what SBS we're trying to achieve and to propose to our clients. It's a modular approach that covers the whole array of client needs in these financial services.
Speaker #0
What are the most urgent or underserved needs in the MEA region today?
Speaker #1
No doubt, it's financial inclusion. It's been a topic that has been addressed for the past 10 years. We are still in it. And it's something that is very close to my heart as a mission in Amplitude. And I'm very glad that we are addressing it the right way. Because today, access to financial tools is not. as much as we would like in Africa. And there is a large part of the population that don't have access to those financial tools like insurance, like loans, that give you a good help to have a better life. And the idea that we have with Amplitude is to be as much as possible close to the market need for our clients, to have the fastest time to market of our product. and also to be cost effective and to have also a very rapid and speedy installation process. So it's a mission and I'm speaking on behalf I think of all SBS employees and in particular Amplitude teams that are doing an amazing job. I think it's our core mission it's to help this financial inclusion wave in Africa.
Speaker #0
Talking about financial inclusion, do you have an example of a bank that has helped transform financial access?
Speaker #1
I can say I have many because we have around 40 financial institutions that are using Amplitude. I can't name all of them, so I will name a few and I'm sorry for the ones I'm not mentioning. But on top of my head, we have Scholaris. which is a microfinance in Mali. They have a strong mission to bring the families, to help families finance the education of their kids. And we are helping them into this mission because they have changed their whole core banking system to Amplitude. You have MuCodec in RDC. They are also a leader in their business. And they have... gone through a massive transformation of their system and the digitalization of all their services and they are doing a great job also we have the advanced group they have i think many subsidiaries in all africa microfinance and they are on an amazing journey by transforming all their processes digitalizing by transforming all their processes putting digital wherever they can and I'm glad we're helping them in this mission because they also help us into improving our product and helping us do a lot of co-design and to better address those clients' needs.
Speaker #0
That's interesting. What are the obstacles to this adaptation?
Speaker #1
The first one is, of course, financing this kind of business because most of the companies that start this business, they need... to finance the whole operation, the whole core banking. So that's where we have adapted our offer. And that's what I said. We try to be as fast as possible, as cost effective as possible to help them start their business as fast as possible. The other part of the obstacle is the system. They need to have a foundation operating system that is modular and that helps them. not worry about anything except go on the field and propose their products to the clients and have happy clients after that. And that's something that we're working very hard to make our core system as stable, as robust and as reliable as possible to help them grow their business.
Speaker #0
And if we think about the limits, how far can we push the personalization of? banking without losing efficiency or profitability?
Speaker #1
Well, first, in any business, any industry, personalizing the service for the client gives more clients trust. And I think it's a must. For the banks, they have no limit. Or let's say the limits have been pushed because we have data now, we have AI, we have supercomputers, and they can process more. more and more data and faster. So I think now the topic for the banks is how they can scale this and how they can leverage this for their growth. And that's where we at SBS are pushing our innovation, our services to help them achieve this ambition.
Speaker #0
Thank you so much, Camille, for your insights, for being with us. And I look forward to the Connect event.
Speaker #1
Thank you very much. It was a pleasure.

Description

Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Transcription

Speaker #0
Welcome to FinTrends, the podcast series dedicated to the trends and news in the fintech sector with experts. Today, I am happy to welcome Camille Benagny-Smirèze on a very special occasion, because we are going to talk about the MEA Connect event 2026, our flagship event returning for its fourth edition. And there is two key stops, one in Douala on March 24 and one in Abidjan on March 26 and March 27. So Camille, you work at SBS, you are general manager for the Amplitude core team and you are based in Casablanca. So you work closely with... teams across the organization, and you are also involved in initiatives such as the podcast series and also the SBS content in general. So it's a pleasure to have you here today.
Speaker #1
Pleasure is mine too. Thank you.
Speaker #0
So Camille, I've briefly introduced you, but can you quickly introduce yourself with your own words?
Speaker #1
Thank you. Thank you very much. I'm very glad to be here. I'm into my fourth year. at SBS. I started as a head of operations in North Africa and since our reorganization two years ago, I'm happy to be the general manager of Amplitude, working with amazing teams for more than 240 banks across Africa. And I'm very happy to be here to talk about our Connect, our flagship event.
Speaker #0
So why was it created in the first place?
Speaker #1
Connect started three years ago. It's a testimony of our, let's say, core transformation within SBS. We try to be more client-focused, more market-led, and Connect shows everything about that. So when we created Connect, the first one was in Abidjan in 2023, under the sponsorship of Raoul Fomeny and Eric Bieri. It was the first time we created such an event at SBS level. Our goal was to have more client intimacy. and show our clients what we were doing linked to their market. It was a success in a one-day event, such a success that we had three more events since then, in Marrakech and Casablanca, and this year with Douala and Abidjan in one week. And the experience was also inspiring for all the other regions at SBS, and they all now have their Connect every year. where they meet clients and discuss, let's say, strategic topics, operational topics, and of course, product topics.
Speaker #0
So you said that the initiative started three years ago. How has it evolved over the last few years?
Speaker #1
Well, the team in charge of this is an amazing team. And I have to give my hats off to them because they do miracles every year. It's always logistics, very complex logistics, very... deep and interesting topics that we cover. And each year is a success, and I'm glad we have that. The difference we had, the first year was a one-day event. It was like a test of what we were trying to do. But the following years, we went deeper into the organization, doing more presentation, more demos about our product. We did more executive meetings with our clients, both on strategic topics or operational topics. Because the luck we have, you know, Amplitude has such a large install base with more than 240 banks. Having most of our clients in one place is just a gift. And when I say all our clients, it's around 150 to 200 people attending the Connect. So it has evolved in part by the success and the presence of our customers.
Speaker #0
So you said that. It has been a success. Is it the only reason why there's two events this year?
Speaker #1
No, it's not the only reason, of course. Amplitude is a core banking leader in Africa, French-speaking Africa. We have 60% of market share in Western Africa and Central Africa. The idea between these two connects is to be close to our clients, close to our markets. And those are the two markets where we are. Present and that counts for it So our goal was to adapt the connect. One is going to be in Douala. We're going to talk more about microfinance, more about operational efficiency. In Abidjan, we're going to talk also microfinance, of course, but more about maybe the digital part of it and more about regulatory projects around payments and also for cross-border operations for banking groups.
Speaker #0
um So you mentioned the fact that the topics will be different according to the region. How does the event reflect the social and economic realities of each host?
Speaker #1
Well, there are going to be same topics around technology, around our innovations, with data, with AI, and also the API openness of our solution, because I think it's a game changer for the, let's say, the... progress of banking in Africa. But we will look at more operational topics. In Douala, we will try to look at examples of microfinance and how we can help our clients evolve in their processes and tools. Whereas in Abidjan, we might have more focus on the data, on AI and on the payment part.
Speaker #0
And do you have a concrete example of a topic? similar topic that will be addressed differently in Abidjan and in Douala?
Speaker #1
Yes. The goal we have in Douala, since we have many microfinance institutions there, is to do a more hands-on workshop with them to tackle more operational topics. Whereas in Abidjan, it's going to be more about how we industrialize the data journey of their clients. So that's the main difference between these two.
Speaker #0
I'm curious about one last thing. Can we expect any surprises this year?
Speaker #1
Well, an MEA Connect without a surprise is not an MEA Connect. The other thing is that I cannot disclose anything. Otherwise, I can have a lot of problems with the marketing team, the amazing marketing team.
Speaker #0
Yeah.
Speaker #1
But there will be a surprise and it's a secret. That's all I can say.
Speaker #0
Okay. I long for it. So, an important topic. for Disconnect 2026 will be the fact that tailored services are very important. Services must be tailored to the specific needs of the populations, whether they are individuals, artisans, SMEs, or large corporations. It's a topic that's really important for SVS. And I don't know if you remember, but last year we launched our first... Banking is local article and you find it. The name of the article was how digital wallets helped transform the lives of millions in Africa. And this very example shows that tailored solutions are a game changer. So I was wondering, how can a bank adapt its services to its customer? You know,
Speaker #1
In any business in the world, if you start with the customer need, you're not far from the truth. For the banks, if they start with the customer need, they will know what they need to do. I will give some examples. For the, let's say, young urban population, they will want quick access to financial services, let's say digital onboarding, everything fast, everything on the phone. If I go... Further, if you take artisans or small companies, they will want easy access to loans, easy tooling for the treasury. And then if you go to farmers or maybe remote people in a remote area, they will want maybe a network that can give them those kind of services because banks are not everywhere. They will also want easier access to loans. And then if you go to the corporate world, you will have... a lot of needs in terms of treasury, in terms of payments, cross-border payments, in terms of let's say regulatory requirements and most of those kind of services. All these needs with all these client segments, they have one thing in common, you need a modular core banking system to help you address all of these and that's what SBS we're trying to achieve and to propose to our clients. It's a modular approach that covers the whole array of client needs in these financial services.
Speaker #0
What are the most urgent or underserved needs in the MEA region today?
Speaker #1
No doubt, it's financial inclusion. It's been a topic that has been addressed for the past 10 years. We are still in it. And it's something that is very close to my heart as a mission in Amplitude. And I'm very glad that we are addressing it the right way. Because today, access to financial tools is not. as much as we would like in Africa. And there is a large part of the population that don't have access to those financial tools like insurance, like loans, that give you a good help to have a better life. And the idea that we have with Amplitude is to be as much as possible close to the market need for our clients, to have the fastest time to market of our product. and also to be cost effective and to have also a very rapid and speedy installation process. So it's a mission and I'm speaking on behalf I think of all SBS employees and in particular Amplitude teams that are doing an amazing job. I think it's our core mission it's to help this financial inclusion wave in Africa.
Speaker #0
Talking about financial inclusion, do you have an example of a bank that has helped transform financial access?
Speaker #1
I can say I have many because we have around 40 financial institutions that are using Amplitude. I can't name all of them, so I will name a few and I'm sorry for the ones I'm not mentioning. But on top of my head, we have Scholaris. which is a microfinance in Mali. They have a strong mission to bring the families, to help families finance the education of their kids. And we are helping them into this mission because they have changed their whole core banking system to Amplitude. You have MuCodec in RDC. They are also a leader in their business. And they have... gone through a massive transformation of their system and the digitalization of all their services and they are doing a great job also we have the advanced group they have i think many subsidiaries in all africa microfinance and they are on an amazing journey by transforming all their processes digitalizing by transforming all their processes putting digital wherever they can and I'm glad we're helping them in this mission because they also help us into improving our product and helping us do a lot of co-design and to better address those clients' needs.
Speaker #0
That's interesting. What are the obstacles to this adaptation?
Speaker #1
The first one is, of course, financing this kind of business because most of the companies that start this business, they need... to finance the whole operation, the whole core banking. So that's where we have adapted our offer. And that's what I said. We try to be as fast as possible, as cost effective as possible to help them start their business as fast as possible. The other part of the obstacle is the system. They need to have a foundation operating system that is modular and that helps them. not worry about anything except go on the field and propose their products to the clients and have happy clients after that. And that's something that we're working very hard to make our core system as stable, as robust and as reliable as possible to help them grow their business.
Speaker #0
And if we think about the limits, how far can we push the personalization of? banking without losing efficiency or profitability?
Speaker #1
Well, first, in any business, any industry, personalizing the service for the client gives more clients trust. And I think it's a must. For the banks, they have no limit. Or let's say the limits have been pushed because we have data now, we have AI, we have supercomputers, and they can process more. more and more data and faster. So I think now the topic for the banks is how they can scale this and how they can leverage this for their growth. And that's where we at SBS are pushing our innovation, our services to help them achieve this ambition.
Speaker #0
Thank you so much, Camille, for your insights, for being with us. And I look forward to the Connect event.
Speaker #1
Thank you very much. It was a pleasure.

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