Viewpoints

As conventional banking and payment models predominantly rely on interest-driven structures, a massive population of Muslim consumers intentionally limit their engagement with the formal economy.

As consumer expectations shift and ethical finance rises up the global agenda, Islamic Banking is increasingly seen not as a niche alternative, but as a blueprint for more responsible finance.

One compliant product can help banks engage with Shari’ah governance, demonstrate commitment to ethical finance, and begin capturing a loyal, values-driven customer base.

For merchant acquirers across Africa, fraud prevention has long focused on minimising chargebacks, reducing scheme exposure, and protecting merchants from losses. But there is another threat hiding inside many fraud strategies: false positives.

For banks and fintechs alike, the mandate is clear: protect customers, reduce financial crime, and meet growing regulatory expectations. But across the industry, that balance has quietly tipped too far toward prevention at any cost.

Used well, rewards can support stronger engagement, increase retention and add more value to credit portfolios. Here are five ways they can help.

As FIs race to offer the latest and most innovative credit models to market, the temptation is to keep adding new products. The real question they should be asking themselves is whether each product is strengthening the portfolio - or quietly weakening it.

If these warning signs feel familiar, it’s a signal that incremental fixes are no longer enough. At that point, modernising the payments platform isn’t a technology upgrade - it’s a strategic necessity.

Rule-based fraud detection has long been the foundation of how financial institutions identify and block suspicious activity. But in today’s environment, where fraud is evolving rapidly and unpredictably, traditional fraud systems that rely solely on rules are increasingly falling behind.

Faced with such staggering figures, it’s easy to understand why financial institutions are tightening fraud controls. Yet in their efforts to protect customers, many are discovering an unintended consequence: overly rigid fraud systems that block genuine transactions and frustrate legitimate users.