Held during the week of the BAL Finals, the event brought together leaders from sport, finance, public policy, technology and investment to explore how an inclusive digital infrastructure can support the next generation of African entrepreneurs and leaders.

Wave Mobile Money reaffirmed its commitment to youth opportunities, digital innovation and financial inclusion at the BAL Business Brunch in Kigali, a high-level meeting held during the week of the BAL Finals under the theme "Youth, Innovation and Financial Inclusion: Building the Next Generation of African Leaders".

The event brought together leading figures from sport, finance, public policy, technology, and investment for in-depth discussions on how inclusive digital infrastructure can create opportunities for young people across the continent. It also provided an ideal platform to connect Wave's mission of financial inclusion with one of the most unifying sporting and cultural events on the African continent.

Held shortly after the Africa CEO Forum, the event extended Kigali's role as a hub for the major conversations shaping growth, innovation, and the emergence of the next generation of African leaders. For Wave, this Business Brunch provided an opportunity to extend this momentum to another iconic platform: sports. It illustrates a growing awareness that youth culture, entrepreneurship, digital finance, and economic inclusion are now inextricably linked.

The panel brought together representatives from key pillars of the continent's growth ecosystem, including Amadou Gallo Fall, President of the Basketball Africa League; Coura Tine Sène, Regional Director and Head of Public Affairs at Wave Mobile Money; Dr. Diane Karusisi, CEO of Bank of Kigali; and Yves Iradukunda, Minister of State at the Ministry of ICT and Innovation of Rwanda. Together, they explored how cultural platforms, financial infrastructure, institutional capital, and supportive public policies can combine their strengths to foster youth entrepreneurship, innovation, and inclusive growth.

For Wave, this exchange was an opportunity to highlight the role of simple, affordable, and reliable financial tools in helping young Africans realize their ambitions. Across the continent, young people are creating businesses, producing content, building communities, promoting culture, and inventing new forms of economic activity. Their ability to progress depends not only on inspiration or visibility, but also on access to a financial infrastructure adapted to their daily realities.

“Across Africa, the new generation isn’t waiting for opportunities to come to them. They’re creating businesses, building communities, shaping culture, and reinventing the landscape of growth,” said Coura Tine Sène, Regional Director and Head of Public Affairs at Wave Mobile Money. “At Wave, our mission is to ensure that financial tools are simple, affordable, and accessible enough to support this momentum every day. Sport is one of the most powerful platforms for reaching and inspiring young people, and our partnership with BAL allows us to connect financial inclusion with culture, entrepreneurship, and ambition in a tangible and meaningful way.”

Wave's commitment reflects a broader ambition: to go beyond mere brand visibility and participate in substantive conversations that matter for Africa's future. By aligning its financial inclusion mission with platforms that speak directly to young people, Wave affirms its role as a company committed to fostering everyday economic participation—whether for small entrepreneurs, students, creators, athletes, informal sector workers, or project leaders.

The discussions also highlighted the importance of collaboration between the private sector, public institutions, financial actors, and cultural platforms. As Africa's digital economy continues to develop, inclusive growth will depend on the collective ability to bridge the gap between innovation and access, between public policy and practical application, and between broad continental discussions and the real needs of communities.

Through its commitment to basketball and youth-focused platforms, Wave uses sport as a strategic space to deepen its relationships with stakeholders, strengthen its presence, and embed its mission where young Africans live, interact, create, and build. This approach allows Wave to be present at moments that are not only visible but also truly meaningful for communities, entrepreneurs, creators, fans, and the leaders of tomorrow.

Financial inclusion is not just about access to an account or payment services. It is about integrating simple, reliable and affordable financial tools into the spaces where the lives, projects and aspirations of Africans are already in motion.

By taking part in this high-level conversation, Wave reaffirmed its commitment to building bridges between sport and economic inclusion, between youth culture and financial infrastructure, between continental dialogue and tangible impact on the ground.