Mbabane – Dr. Alfred Hannig, Executive Director and CEO of the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI), has commended Eswatini’s financial sector stakeholders for their continued commitment to advancing financial inclusion. Dr. Hannig met with members of AFI working groups in the country, where he received updates on current initiatives and shared insights on overcoming remaining barriers.

The engagement brought together representatives from the Central Bank of Eswatini (CBE), the Ministry of Finance (MoF), the Centre for Financial Inclusion (CFI), and the Financial Services Regulatory Authority (FSRA). It served as a collaborative platform to assess progress and explore new opportunities to drive inclusive financial services across the Kingdom.

The session followed the recently held Financial Inclusion Symposium 2025, which highlighted key strategies and policy discussions aimed at broadening access to financial services for all emaSwati. The symposium also laid the groundwork for continuous engagement and sector-wide alignment.

During the working session, Dr. Hannig emphasized the importance of local ownership and sustained coordination in implementing national financial inclusion strategies. “I am encouraged by the dedication and openness demonstrated by Eswatini’s institutions,” he said. “There is real potential here to deepen inclusion, but it requires targeted action and cross-sectoral collaboration.”

Reflecting on the momentum created by the symposium, Linda Dlamini, Deputy Director of Fintech and Innovation, said the country is moving in the right direction. “We need to work towards better coordination and adopt a more deliberate approach to achieving financial inclusivity,” she stated during the closing session.

Dr. Hannig’s two-day visit to Eswatini concluded with a renewed sense of purpose among stakeholders and a shared understanding of the urgent need to make financial services more accessible, especially for underserved and rural communities.