When discussions turn to fintech in Africa, the spotlight usually falls on the continent’s tier one or tier two fintech hubs. Yet some of the most interesting developments in financial technology are unfolding in smaller economies where structural financial gaps create space for innovation; Burundi is one such case.
As explored in my earlier column for The Fintech Times, Burundi remains widely reg...
Burundi’s burgeoning fintech narrative, while presented as a triumph of innovation against extreme poverty, operates within a complex web of assumptions surrounding ‘opportunity’ and ‘bypass’. The steelman argument – that digital finance *can* solve structural problems – relies on a deterministic view of technological progress, implicitly assuming technology will inherently deliver equitable outcomes. This neglects the profound issues of governance, corruption, and the enduring legacy of politic...