FC Audio Stories feature voices from a wide range of experts and stories on investment opportunities in emerging markets, trends that are reshaping economies, and the private sector’s role in creating jobs and addressing development challenges.
Voices from Mongolia: Goat herders and cashmere entrepreneurs on green loans’ impact
Green finance is helping Mongolian cashmere companies become energy-efficient while preserving traditions among the nomadic herders who supply cashmere. In this audio story, Khan Bank CEO Munkhtuya Rentsenbat, cashmere manufacturer Tumen Suljee CEO Namkhaijamts Erdenebat, and a cashmere goat herder explain how green bonds and green loans are shaping Mongolia’s sustainable future.
10/4/2024 • 8 minutes, 44 seconds
Empowering Renewable Energy Women Leaders from the Field to the Boardroom
IFC chats with Chanda Kapande Nxumalo, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Harmattan Renewables, a South African renewable energy company that is a leading provider of technical, commercial and environmental advisory services. The Renewable Energy sector in Africa is poised for rapid growth in the next 10 to 15 years. Chanda encourages women to raise their hands for opportunities, do hard things, and gain visibility.
6/27/2024 • 18 minutes, 51 seconds
Powering Africa: The Private Sector's Role in Africa’s Energy Transformation
At the 2024 Spring Meetings, World Bank Group President Ajay Banga announced an ambitious commitment to bring energy access to 300 million people in Africa by 2030, in partnership with the African Development Bank. But what will it take to achieve this, and how will the International Finance Corporation and the private sector contribute to this goal? In this episode of IFC Audio Stories Sarvesh Suri, IFC's Director for Infrastructure and Natural Resources in Africa, shares some of the financial tools and innovative solutions that could help transform the continent's energy landscape.
4/19/2024 • 13 minutes, 30 seconds
Road to COP28: IFC's Wisdom on Water
In this episode, Lindy Mtongana sits down with Rogerio Pilotto, a Senior Investment Officer in IFC’s Global Water team to discuss the crucial role of water in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Rogerio emphasizes how private sector investment in commercially viable water projects can help secure access to clean water and sanitation for all.
11/29/2023 • 7 minutes, 21 seconds
Insights from the Africa CEO Forum 2023
This year's Africa CEO Forum saw 2,200 participants gathering in Abidjan, Cote D'Ivoire for the largest private sector assembly in Africa. Co-hosted by IFC and Jeune Afrique, the event placed a strong emphasis on scaling up African businesses and fostering the growth of the next generation of African champions. This episode of IFC Audio Stories delves into the significance of the theme for IFC and sheds light on its implications for women entrepreneurs.
6/13/2023 • 10 minutes, 32 seconds
She Powers Africa – Ep. 03: Being a Champion for African Girls to Explore STEM Careers
In the third episode of She Powers Africa, IFC chats with Carol Koech, the Country President for Schneider East Africa. Koech shares her career journey and why she’s a champion for African girls to explore STEM careers.
9/12/2022 • 15 minutes, 51 seconds
Future Keepers - Ep 03: Governance and keeping an open door with Jay Bartlett
For the final episode of this Pacific mini-series, IFC talks to Hatanga Managing Director Jay Bartlett about why it’s important to demonstrate high standards of governance, and, as the boss, keep an open door. For more information about IFC’s work, please see: IFC’s work on Gender in East Asia and the Pacific
11/23/2021 • 16 minutes, 42 seconds
Racism at Home and Abroad: A Conversation Between Friends
Two long-time friends, one African-American and the other a U.S.-based Ugandan national, share their experiences of institutional racism on two continents and exchange ideas about how to handle racial bias in international development. In a conversation recorded earlier this month, Jude Kearney, managing director and co-founder of Kearney Africa Legal Advisors LLC, and Emmanuel Nyirinkindi, IFC’s Director of Transaction Advisory Services, spoke about their personal experiences with racism at home and abroad. Both Kearney and Nyirinkindi have worked in several African countries, including Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, and Uganda. During this wide-ranging discussion, they explore how the protests in the U.S. are playing out in African nations and what the international development sector can do about its own racial bias.