The Monocle Banking Podcast

Ep 27: South Africa’s Fighting Chance: What We Have to Do to Get it Right - Ann Bernstein

The recent South African election results took many pundits by surprise. To help talk us through the implications, opportunities, and threats of these results, Michael Avery sat down with Ann Bernstein, Executive Director at the Centre for Development and Enterprise. Ann shares with Michael her insights from her international research on what South Africa needs to do to create growth, jobs and stability in this new chapter of our democracy. 

Ep 26: South Africa's Economic Reboot: Can Data Catalyse New Growth? - Dr. Daan Steenkamp

Economist and CEO of Codera Analytics, Dr. Daan Steenkamp, joins Michael Avery for a deep dive into South Africa's pressing fiscal challenges. Their discussion tackles the nation's economic stagnation, labour market dynamics in response to growth, and the long-term viability of South Africa's energy reforms.
Dr. Steenkamp explores not only how policymakers can utilise data more effectively to address these economic hurdles, but also potential strategies for a new government to reignite economic growth after a period of stagnation.

Ep 25: The Taxing World of Sustainability - Duane Newman

Even with how important sustainability is, its financial implications are still dauntingly complex to understand. To help unpack this evolving topic, Michael Avery sat down with Duane Newman, Tax Sustainability Partner at EY.
Duane shares his insights into the implications of Europe’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and how the current local and international regulations and expectations are at odds with the varying requirements and stages of sustainability maturity around the world.

Ep 24: Banking on a Sustainable Future - Annabel Bishop

How should banks be thinking about climate change? That’s what Michael Avery wanted to find out when he sat down with Investec’s Chief Economist, Annabel Bishop.
Applying her over 23 years of experience at Investec, Annabel unpacks why banks track and forecast climate change, how they are addressing associated risks, and which risks she believes banks should be responsible for mitigating. She also shares her views on the evolving regulatory landscape around sustainability and how to balance the energy security of developing economies with global climate change imperatives.

Ep 23: The Potential of AI in Banking - Christoph Nieuwoudt

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. Together, they also hypothesise the opportunities AI and data have to support financial inclusion, create new career opportunities and provide better products for customers.

Ep 22: What Happens to Your Money if Your Bank Fails? - Sabihah Mohamed

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 distribution models work as well as who and what products are covered.

Ep 21: The Geopolitics of Energy - Daniel Yergin

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 to understand why energy truly makes the world go round, then this episode is for you.

Ep 20: You are Your Data - Paul Morley

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 of data and AI in the banking industry.