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Couchonomics with Arjun
Decoding the New World Order of Finance - Unfiltered, global, weekly
As tectonic shifts reshape the financial world, Couchonomics continues to explore the trends transforming commerce, capital, and culture. This season, we expand our lens - building on our deep focus in the MENA region while bringing in voices, stories, and innovations from around the globe.
Why? Because the future of finance is no longer regional - it’s interconnected.
Whether it’s AI in Asia, tokenization in Europe, or fintech policy experiments in Africa, today’s financial shifts cross borders, industries, and disciplines.
Whether you’re in the industry or just fintech-curious, tune in weekly as we decode the big moves, bold ideas, and brilliant minds shaping tomorrow’s economy.
Episodes drop weekly. Arabic subtitles available on YouTube: youtube.com/@couchonomicswitharjunsingh438
Learn more: www.couchonomics.com
Season 4 supported by:
Adyen | Mastercard | SC Ventures | Thunes | Hala | e& | Digit 9
About the host:
Arjun's expertise covers a broad range of areas including Fintech, Payments, Digital Assets, Embedded Finance, Application of Emerging Technologies, and the Emergence of New Business Models within the Financial Services Sector in the MEA region and globally.
Arjun is deeply engaged in the Tech Start-Up ecosystem. He serves as a passive investor, advisory board member, and a notable commentator on the rapidly evolving scene.
In recognition of his impactful contributions, Arjun was honored as a Top Voice of the region by LinkedIn in 2020.
Learn more at www.couchonomics.com.
Couchonomics with Arjun
Africa’s Fintech Boom: From Mobile Money to Purpose-Driven Lending
💡 Africa’s fintech story is no longer a local experiment — it’s a global test case for the future of inclusion, innovation, and capital flows.
In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, we’re joined by Yustus Aribariho, Co-Founder of Furaha Financial (part of SC Ventures by Standard Chartered). Yustus is now on a mission to unlock education financing and opportunity across Sub-Saharan Africa.
We unpack:
💸 Why capital inflows into African fintech lag behind the opportunity
📱 How mobile money became the blueprint for financial inclusion worldwide
🛠 The frictions of regulation, repatriation, and cross-border flows
👥 Why human capital and local talent could be Africa’s ultimate advantage
Furaha isn’t just another fintech — it’s building infrastructure that bridges capital and impact in one of the world’s fastest-growing regions.
🎧 Watch the full episode now on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcasts.
Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by our partners:
Adyen https://www.adyen.com/
Thunes https://thunes.com/
Mastercard https://mastercard.com/
E& https://www.eand.com/
Digit9 https://www.digitnine.com/
SC Ventures https://scventures.io/
Hala https://hala.com/
Chapters:
00:00 Episode Highlights
02:40 State of FinTech in Sub-Saharan Africa
08:11 Challenges and Opportunities in African FinTech
10:48 The Role of Mobile Money and Digital Banks
15:00 Investment Dynamics and Regulatory Challenges
17:57 Affordability and Financial Inclusion
21:46 Alternative Financial Services in Africa
27:46 High Cost of Borrowing and Risk-Based Pricing
28:36 Purpose-Driven Financing
33:37 Addressing the Education Financing Gap
35:43 Building an Ecosystem for Education Loans
37:42 Why Uganda?
45:29 Future Expansion and Challenges
48:04 Business Model and Partnerships
52:25 Vision for the Future
55:26 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Our website 👉 https://bit.ly/3jk7UH0
Find us on our social media platforms:
- Arjun's LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjunvirsingh/
- CCN LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/couchonomics-with-arjun-singh/
- Instagram https://www.instagram.com/couchonomics/
- Twitter https://twitter.com/Arjun_Vir_Singh?s=20
- TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@couchonomics
Subscribe to Arjun's LinkedIn newsletter, Couchonomics Crunch: https://bit.ly/3WI4A6E
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