Building resilient financial systems in Africa through technology

Taiwo Okanlawon

Africa’s financial sector has grown rapidly in recent years. Mobile money services, fintech innovations, and increasing digital adoption have transformed the way people access and use financial services. But this growth has also exposed weaknesses. System failures, security breaches, and limited accessibility highlight the need for financial systems that can withstand disruptions, recover quickly, and remain inclusive. Building resilience is not just about innovation; it is about creating systems that remain strong under pressure and serve everyone reliably.

Israel Iyonsi is a Software Engineering Consultant who has worked extensively on creating and improving such resilient systems. At Kindred, he has designed and maintained Azure Functions that ingest and reprocess affiliate transactions for over twenty partner networks including Admitad, Cuelinks, vCommission, Rakuten, and Dognet. His work involves designing reprocessing strategies, building APIs with high reliability, authoring complex SQL scripts for data auditing, and migrating legacy integrations to modern APIs. This experience gives him unique insight into what makes financial systems durable and dependable.

From Israel’s perspective, resilience begins with scalability. African financial systems process massive transaction volumes every day, and even minor failures can cause major disruptions. Resilient systems are not ones that never encounter problems, but those that recover quickly and adapt to changing demands. Building with scalability in mind means designing infrastructure that can handle growth without breaking. Israel’s projects at Kindred reflect this principle, ensuring that even under heavy demand, systems remain stable and responsive.

Security is another critical pillar of resilience. Israel has worked on anti money laundering systems that safeguard data and detect fraud. Resilience cannot exist without security embedded into every layer of a system. Real time monitoring, intelligent screening, and AI driven risk detection are essential safeguards. The financial platforms that succeed in the future will be those that detect threats in real time and respond effectively. This means integrating security as a core principle from the earliest stages of system design, not as an afterthought.

Data integrity and management are also central to resilience. Many African financial institutions struggle with fragmented datasets, making it harder to make informed decisions. Investing in robust data management systems enables institutions to move from reactive to proactive operations. Well integrated data systems allow for better risk prediction, fraud detection, and improved service delivery. Israel’s work demonstrates how strong data foundations lead to more stable systems and how strategic integration of tools can streamline operations across multiple partners.

Accessibility is equally important. A system cannot be truly resilient if it excludes large segments of the population. Millions of Africans still lack access to formal financial services. Mobile banking has expanded reach significantly, but more needs to be done to ensure affordability and usability in areas with limited infrastructure. True resilience means ensuring financial access for all. This requires building systems that are intuitive, work in low bandwidth environments, and are compatible with a wide range of devices.
Looking forward, Israel believes that cloud computing and Artificial Intelligence will define the next phase of financial resilience. Cloud platforms make infrastructure scalable and cost efficient while offering robust redundancy and disaster recovery options. AI improves fraud detection, automates compliance, and enhances customer experience through predictive analytics and personalized services. Together, they give financial systems the ability to adapt, grow, and thrive in a rapidly changing world.

Africa has already shown the ability to leapfrog traditional banking models with mobile money and fintech innovations. With intentional application of cloud and AI technologies, the continent can build financial systems that are not only innovative but also robust, secure, and inclusive enough to meet the needs of future generations. Israel believes that with strategic focus, resilience in Africa’s financial systems will become a defining strength of the next era in technology and finance.