Wave Mobile Money reinforced its commitment to youth opportunity, digital innovation and financial inclusion during the BAL Business Brunch in Kigali, a high-level gathering held during BAL Finals Week under the theme “Youth, Innovation and Financial Inclusion: Building the Next Generation of African Leaders.”
The event brought together senior voices from sport, finance, policy, technology and investment for a focused conversation on how inclusive digital infrastructure can unlock opportunities for young people across the continent. It also provided an important platform to connect Wave’s financial inclusion mission with one of Africa’s most dynamic sporting and cultural moments.
Taking place shortly after the Africa CEO Forum, the event extended Kigali’s role as a meeting point for conversations shaping Africa’s growth, innovation, and next generation of leadership. For Wave, the Business Brunch carried this momentum into another powerful African platform: sport. It reflected a growing recognition that youth culture, entrepreneurship, digital finance and economic inclusion are increasingly connected.
The panel brought together representatives from key pillars of Africa’s connected growth ecosystem, including Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the Basketball Africa League, Coura Tine Sène, Regional Director and Head of Public Affairs at Wave Mobile Money, Dr. Diane Karusisi, CEO of the Bank of Kigali, and Yves Iradukunda, Minister of State for the Ministry of ICT and Innovation in Rwanda. Together, they explored how cultural platforms, financial infrastructure, institutional capital and enabling public policy can work together to support youth entrepreneurship, innovation and inclusive growth.
For Wave, the conversation was an opportunity to highlight the role of simple, affordable and trusted financial tools in helping young Africans turn ambition into participation. Across the continent, young people are building businesses, creating content, developing communities, driving culture and shaping new forms of economic activity. Their ability to grow depends not only on inspiration or visibility, but also on access to financial infrastructure that works for their daily realities.
“Across Africa, the next generation is not waiting for the next opportunity to arrive. They are creating businesses, building communities, shaping culture and redefining what growth looks like,” said Coura Tine Sène, Regional Director and Head of Public Affairs at Wave Mobile Money. “At Wave, our role is to make sure that financial tools are simple, affordable and accessible enough to support that momentum in everyday life. Sport is one of the most powerful platforms to reach and inspire young people, and our partnership with BAL allows us to connect financial inclusion to culture, entrepreneurship, and ambition in a meaningful way.”
Wave’s engagement reflects a broader ambition to move beyond traditional brand visibility and contribute to substantive conversations that matter for Africa’s future. By aligning its financial inclusion mission with platforms that speak directly to young people, Wave is strengthening its role as a company committed to enabling everyday economic participation, whether for small business owners, students, creators, athletes, informal workers or entrepreneurs.
The discussion also reinforced the importance of collaboration between the private sector, public institutions, financial actors and cultural platforms. As Africa’s digital economy continues to expand, inclusive growth will depend on the ability to build bridges between innovation and access, between policy and practical use, and between high-level conversations and the everyday needs of communities.
Through its broader engagement around basketball and youth-focused platforms, Wave is using sport as a strategic space to deepen relationships with stakeholders, strengthen its visibility and connect its mission to the environments where young Africans live, transact, create and build. This approach allows Wave to support moments that are not only visible, but also meaningful for communities, entrepreneurs, creators, fans, and future leaders.
Financial inclusion is not only about access to accounts or payments. It is about embedding simple, trusted and affordable financial tools into the places where African lives, businesses and aspirations are already moving.
By participating in this high-level conversation, Wave reaffirmed its ambition to help build bridges between sport and economic inclusion, youth culture and financial infrastructure, and continental dialogue and practical impact.
About Wave
Wave Mobile Money provides simple, inclusive, and highly affordable digital financial services to millions of users across Africa. The company enables customers to transfer money, make payments, and carry out everyday transactions at low cost. Wave is the first unicorn in Francophone Africa and continues to pursue its mission: making financial services accessible to everyone.
www.wave.com
Media Contact:
Yasmina Ndella Bileoma
Regional PR Lead
Wave Mobile Money
+221 775554953
[email protected]
