Learn · TED

Talk12 min

A new model of microfinance for Africa, and beyond

Viola Llewellyn · TED

Watch At TED

About

Financial institutions often impose Western models of risk assessment, which are often ill-fitted for diverse global markets -- especially in Africa, a continent made up of thousands of ethnic and cultural groups and more than 2,000 languages. Fintech entrepreneur Viola Llewellyn is determined to properly tap into the continent's potential for wealth. Her firm, Ovamba, combines AI and local knowledge to develop custom risk models and algorithms, designed for Africa but applicable beyond. Llewellyn's work means previously overlooked entrepreneurs now have the opportunity to access vital capital to grow their businesses. "In digitizing our future, we will preserve the beauty of our culture and unlock the code of our best wealth traits," she says. "Becoming global citizens gives us a seat at the table as equals."

The talk

  1. A new model of microfinance for Africa, and beyond 12 min · TED's player

Credits and licence

Institution
TED
Department
TED@BCG Toronto
Speaker
Viola Llewellyn
Year
2018
Level
For everyone
Language
English
Subjects
Economics
Source
TED
Licence
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, as TED states it. Non-commercial use only, and no changed versions. TED's terms
Attribution
TED Talks are licensed by TED under Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 International and are shown here in TED's own player, as TED's usage policy asks.
Who can watch
TED gives no rating. Invisible Network shows it to Tweens profiles and older, judged from what the source says about it. How courses are placed