Global SME Finance Forum 2025

Global SME Finance Forum 2025
When: 15-17 Sep 2025 Where: Johannesburg, South Africa 12 Speakers Where to register: gftn.co

The Global SME Finance Forum 2025 is the world’s leading conference focused on advancing financial access for small and medium-sized enterprises. This year’s forum places a strong spotlight on AI-powered innovation, exploring how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of SME finance.

With the theme “AI-Powered Digital and Sustainable SME Finance”, the event will gather over 700 global leaders from banks, fintechs, development finance institutions, and tech providers to examine:

  • How AI enhances credit scoring, fraud detection, and risk management

  • Practical use cases of generative AI in customer onboarding and personalization

  • Responsible and ethical AI integration in digital finance

  • AI’s role in enabling real-time, data-driven decision-making

  • How AI can support inclusive, climate-resilient, and sustainable SME growth

The forum offers keynotes, deep-dive panels, innovation showcases, and B2B networking, making it the go-to platform for anyone involved in SME finance and next-gen digital transformation.

Whether you’re a financial institution, startup, or policymaker, this event provides crucial insights into how AI is revolutionizing access to finance for small businesses globally.

Speakers

John Gachora
Group Managing Director, NCBA Group
Lamia Kamal-Chaoui
Director, OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities Connect Cities
Lyle Horsley
Head of Fintech, South African Reserve Bank
Manoj Mittal
Chairman and Managing Director, Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
Mike Ogbalu III
Chief Executive Officer, Pan African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS)
Nontobeko Lubisi
Director, Financial Inclusion, National Treasury of South Africa South African Cities Network
Dr. Patrick Njoroge
Former Governor, Central Bank of Kenya
Pearl Nkrumah
Africa Head, Retail & Digital Banking (Excl. Nigeria), Access Bank Plc
Ravi Menon
Chairman of the Board of Directors, Global Finance & Technology Network (GFTN);
Charlotte Keenan
Managing Director, Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs
Dr. Dorothy Nyambi
Chief Executive Officer, Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA) TamedAI
Ethiopis Tafara
Regional Vice President, Africa, International Finance Corporation IFC - International Finance Corporation

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