Building Technology for Africa: AI, Financial Inclusion & Innovation | Mercy Angela Nantongo

How do we build technology that works for Africa? And how can digital innovation improve the lives of people often left out of the digital economy? On this episode of the Finance & Future Tech Show, host Mark welcomes Mercy Angela Nantongo, a Digital Product Manager at Village Enterprise, for an insightful conversation about building digital solutions for rural entrepreneurs, expanding financial inclusion, and unlocking Africa’s technology potential. With over seven years of experience building, developing, implementing, and scaling digital products, Mercy shares lessons from her work at Village Enterprise, where technology is helping transform the delivery of entrepreneurship training and poverty alleviation programmes. She explains how human-centred design helps developers understand the real needs of their users before building solutions, why digital savings tools can improve financial record-keeping and access to credit, and how Village Enterprise’s SPRINT initiative is using technology to make business training and mentorship more efficient. The conversation also explores the growing role of artificial intelligence in agriculture and business mentorship, the importance of developing AI models using African data and languages, and the infrastructure challenges that continue to limit digital adoption in rural communities. Mercy also shares her perspective on Africa’s fintech ecosystem, the need for affordable and accessible financial products, cross-border payments, regulatory barriers, and why technology companies must understand the different markets, cultures, and financial behaviours across African countries. In this episode, we discuss: Human-centred design and building digital products around real user needs. How Village Enterprise uses technology to support rural entrepreneurs and fight poverty. SPRINT and the role of digital tools in scaling entrepreneurship training and mentorship. Digital savings, financial inclusion, and access to credit for underserved communities. AI-powered business mentorship and the importance of building AI for African users. Internet connectivity, electricity, and other infrastructure challenges affecting rural innovation. Why affordable financial products must reflect people's actual income and cash flow. Cross-border payments, interoperability, and the future of financial technology in Africa. Why African startups and investors must recognise the diversity of African markets. The opportunities to build homegrown technology solutions using African data, knowledge, and expertise. Mercy's central message is clear: technology should not exist simply to digitise people or introduce new tools. It should solve real problems, improve livelihoods, and make people's lives better.