The Monocle Banking Podcast

There are few individuals as qualified as Christoph Nieuwoudt, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at FNB, to discuss the AI and data revolution in banking. In a conversation with Michael Avery, Christoph shares insights into his journey into AI, the progress banks like FNB are making in AI adoption, and the regulatory, security, and data privacy challenges encountered by the FirstRand Group. Toget...

On the 1st of April, the SARB launched a crucial initiative to safeguard the deposits of everyday South Africans called the Corporation of Deposit Insurance. To better understand what this means and how it works, Michael Avery sat down with Sabihah Mohamed, CEO of the Corporation for Deposit Insurance (CODI). Sabihah shares the laborious journey of implementing the initiative, how the funding and...

Pulitzer Prize winner and author of the global bestseller ‘The New Map’, Daniel Yergin joins Michael Avery on the podcast this week to discuss some of the most pressing energy conundrums currently facing the world. From EVs to Russia, climate change to energy security in Africa, Yergin provides his insights as the ultimate authority on the intersection between energy and geopolitics. If you want t...

Paul Morley may not have meant to build his career in data and technology, but after 14 years of leading Nedbank's Group Data Services, he is glad that he did. Paul takes Michael Avery through the evolution of data, automation, and digitisation during his time at Nedbank, as well as the challenges, compromises and benefits he has witnessed on this journey. He also shares his insights on the future...

With only a few days under the belt in her new role as CEO of the FirstRand Group, it was a privilege to be joined by Mary Vilakazi on the Monocle Banking Podcast. Mary shares with Michael Avery her inspiring career journey and what it means to be the first black female CEO at FirstRand. They also explore her view on how banks need to strike the right balance between future prosperity and current...

The South African Banking industry is diligently producing strong financial results in the face of challenging macro-economic headwinds. To unpack how they are achieving this, Michael Avery is joined on the Monocle Banking Podcast by Riviaan Roopnarain, Partner at PwC. Together, they unpack what has been driving the banking sector's success, delve into the importance of digital transformation, and...

From navigating the impact of politics on regulations, to strategies for dealing with interest rate fluctuations, Michael Avery sits down with Pierre Romagny, Partner at Oliver Wyman, to unpack key trends shaping South Africa's banking industry in 2024. As customer experience becomes ever more crucial in the digital age, the discussion delves into the most promising applications of AI for South Af...

Today, the 11th of March 2024, marks the end of the Fed’s ‘Bank Term Funding Programme’ – an initiative set up to support the US banking industry post the collapse of SVB, Signature Bank, and First Republic Bank this time last year. The conclusion of this support programme sets up a timely discussion on the Monocle Banking Podcast between Michael Avery and Monocle’s CEO, David Buckham, on whether...

Roger Jardine, ex-Chairperson for FirstRand and leader of newly formed political party Change Starts Now sat down with Michael Avery to share his vision for South Africa. Having served in both the public and private sector, Roger provides a balanced perspective on what both sectors need to do to balance the country's social needs and economic imperatives. He also openly shared why he started ‘Chan...

Dr Roy Havemann, our latest guest on the Monocle Banking Podcast, brings a unique perspective on the South African economy in his conversation with Michael Avery. As CEO of consultancy Krutham, and having worked within the South African Treasury, Roy shares his deep passion for the financial success of South Africa as well as insights from his soon-to-be released book “How to un-F**k a Country”. F...

From the leadership vacuum in the global political economy to the changing socio-economic conditions around the world, in this episode, Michael Avery is joined by the Founder and CEO of Ninety One, Hendrik du Toit, to unpack the pressing issues of 2024 and beyond. Hendrik du Toit delves into the crucial role South African businesses play in driving problem-solving dialogues with the government, as...

Much of the growth potential in South Africa sits with our ability to enable growth in small to medium size businesses. Michael Avery hosts Gordon Little, CEO of FNB Commercial, to understand the role and responsibility of South Africa’s banks to responsibly unlock the potential of our SMEs.

SARS, the UK’s first internet bank, SAA and Old Mutual. It’s not often one would bundle these companies together, yet these are just a few of the companies that Bob Head has led in his illustrious career. Michael Avery hosts Bob on the Monocle Banking Podcast where he reflects on his diverse career experiences and provides advice for modern day FinTechs and banks. 

Digital payment offerings are steadily gaining popularity in South Africa, but they have yet to compare to the scale and adoption in other South-Saharan countries. To help us better understand this evolving sector, Michael Avery sat down with Rory Bosman, Executive for Sales & Marketing at Ecentric Payment Systems. In this podcast, Rory breaks down the benefits and use cases for digital paymen...

Having doubled its value in the past year, and the recent inclusion into the mainstream ETF market, cryptocurrency has a newfound impetus in the world of finance. To better understand the potential of cryptocurrencies, Michael Avery sat down with Farzam Ehsani, Co-Founder & CEO at VALR. Farzam shares why he believes the benefits of cryptocurrency outweigh any concerns or illicit use cases, wha...

The Monocle Banking Podcast commences 2024 with renewed energy as Michael Avery is joined by Dipak Patel, one of the lead authors of South Africa’s Just Energy Transition Implementation Plan. As the Head of Climate Finance and Innovation for the South African Presidential Climate Commission, Patel shares the key components of the ambitious plan, it’s feasibility and funding approach. Is this the s...

Banking holds a crucial role within the success of an economy, and for the banking ecosystem to succeed, trust is paramount.  David Buckham, Monocle’s CEO, engages in conversation with Michael Avery to delve into the intricacies of trust within the banking sector. David explores how banks should address bad actors, the necessary corrective measures for industry scandals, and how cryptocurrency, in...

The vastly experienced Anbann Chetti, Group CFO of African Bank, joins Michael Avery in this week’s Monocle Banking Podcast. After explaining his fascinating career in banking, Anbann shares the strategic growth and diversification focus for African Bank, how their recent and future-planned acquisitions play into that strategy and the impact he believes African Bank can have on South Africa. Don't...

Inequality remains an enduring reality, especially in South Africa, prompting a crucial question within our industry: do financial services contribute to improving or exacerbating the situation? To address this, Michael Avery is joined by Anne Cabot-Alletzhauser, Adjunct Faculty and Practice Director of the Responsible Finance Initiative at GIBS and former Head of the Alexander Forbes Research Ins...

On his return to the Monocle Banking Podcast, Professor Brian Kantor examines the challenges faced by modern-day banks. In conversation with Michael Avery, they assess whether regulations have gone too far, what causes banks to fail and the importance for the industry to rebuild trust.

In this episode of the Monocle Banking Podcast, Michael Avery sits down with investment and economics legend, Prof Brian Kantor. The Professor gets to the crux of why we have seen global rising inflation, whether the Fed has finally beaten it, and how the SARB should react to the current macro-environment. Prof Brian Kantor was the Chief Investment Strategist of Investec Wealth & Investment, a...

In the second episode of the Monocle Banking Podcast, Michael Avery sits down with Monocle’s CEO, David Buckham, to conduct a comprehensive post-mortem of what actually transpired in the failure of SVB, and other banks, earlier this year. David cuts into the heart of the financial levers that led to SVB’s demise, how the FED is, in fact, complicit, and the ultimate erosion of trust these failures...

It is with much excitement that we launch the inaugural episode of The Monocle Banking Podcast. In partnership with esteemed financial journalist, Michael Avery, we will be exploring the world of banking – beyond the vaults and virtual wallets. This weekly series will play host to some of the top minds in the banking industry from around the world, kicking off with Monocle’s very own CEO, David Bu...