Nairobi, May 27-31, 2019 - the China-Africa Digital Financial Inclusion Summit was held jointly by the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation, Chinese Academy of Financial Inclusion (CAFI) and Financial Sector Deepening (FSD Kenya).

The opening ceremony was hosted by Wu Zhong, Director General of the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation. Dr. Bei Duoguang, President of CAFI, and David Lubinski, Senior Program Officer of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, made opening remarks respectively. Li Dongrong, President of National Internet Finance Association of China, Pan Guangwei, CEO of China Banking Association, Zhao Xiyuan, Minister Counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Kenya, and representatives from the World Bank, African Development Bank, and Visa have delivered keynote speeches.

After the opening ceremony, the guests also discussed “DFI innovation and development across the African continent,” “DFI innovation and development in Kenya,” and “Exploring business & investment across Africa.” Financial policymakers and experts drawn from institutions and enterprises in China and Africa met in Nairobi on Tuesday to discuss how to accelerate investment and collaboration for financial inclusion in Africa.

In recent years, China's influence on global digital finance inclusion has become increasingly prominent, and Africa has accumulated valuable practical experience as an area that started DFI earlier in the international arena. This initiative consist of a one-week focused learning trip in Kenya, to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between China and Africa in the field of inclusive digital finance, improve the construction of international DFI system, explore opportunities for cooperation, and explore more models to promote the development and progress of developing regions. The participants look to identify relevant applications of the Chinese DFI experience to different African markets by taking a closer look at the current landscape, regulatory environment, innovations, and trends.

The summit brought together more than 200 participants from the digital financial services and FinTech industries. It was co-hosted by the Finance Center for South-South Cooperation, CAFI, and FDS Kenya, and had the support from China Banking Association and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among others.