Ralph Mupita – MTN Group President CEO
The Chief Executive Officer of MTN Ghana, Ralph Mupita, has indicated that fraud and digital scams are global issues that require strong rules and regulations to build trust in digital financial systems across Africa.
Speaking during a virtual fireside chat at the 3i Africa Summit in Accra, Mr. Mupita emphasised that these challenges are not unique to Ghana or MTN, but require collaborative efforts to combat them and make digital transactions more secure and trustworthy.
Mr. Mupita reaffirmed the company’s strong commitment to advancing Africa’s digital finance transformation, stressing the critical role telecommunications operators play in expanding access to financial services, reducing transaction costs, and driving inclusive economic participation across emerging markets.
He noted that Africa’s digital finance ecosystem is entering a new and accelerated phase powered by rapid technological innovation, artificial intelligence (AI), and the steady evolution from basic mobile money services into fully integrated digital financial systems.
According to him, the continent is on the verge of a major leap in financial inclusion, with digital platforms increasingly reshaping payments, credit systems, remittances, and cross-border trade.
On cross-border payments, Mr. Mupita argued that Africa must move beyond fragmented national systems towards a fully integrated regional digital finance architecture that reduces friction in trade and currency exchange.
He said the future of African commerce lies in seamless financial interoperability across countries, which will enable truly borderless digital transactions.
Mr. Mupita pointed to institutions such as the African Export-Import Bank and other financial infrastructure actors as key drivers already laying the foundation for more efficient cross-border payment systems.
Addressing the role of AI, he said the technology presents major opportunities in fraud detection, credit scoring, and customer service optimisation. However, he stressed that its deployment must be guided by responsibility and strong oversight to preserve trust in the financial ecosystem.
Mr. Mupita further noted that Africa’s digital finance future will be anchored on three core pillars and named them as resilience, trust, and regional integration, adding that coordinated leadership across the continent will be critical to unlocking sustainable socio-economic transformation.
He stressed that the next phase of growth will be defined by how effectively stakeholders balance innovation with protection while building a truly interconnected digital economy across Africa
BY Prince Fiifi Yorke