The CXO Conversations - Identity, Carbon Markets, and African Entrepreneurship

Synopsis:

At the Inclusive Fintech Forum 2026 in Kigali, Melanie Keita discusses her journey and views on Africa’s development with host Divine Muragijimana. She reflects on growing up between France and Africa, her multicultural identity, and settling in Kenya after reconnecting with her Congolese roots. The conversation explores her shock and self-discovery upon returning to Africa, shaping sense of belonging. They debate carbon markets, Keita arguing Africa should benefit if systems are transparent and well-regulated. She defines entrepreneurship across smallholder farmers and agribusinesses, emphasizing trust, relationships, financial ecosystems. She stresses access to finance as essential for scaling African economies and jobs.

About Mélanie (Mariam) Keïta
My bio: Melanie is a 10-year impact finance & investment professional named by Forbes in the 2021’s 30 under 30 list. In 2020, she became the CEO &co-founder of Melanin Kapital, the #1 fintech offering a carbon neobank that helps African SMEs access and track carbon credits and green lending in Africa. With the vision of providing $5b of carbon financing to SMEs, Melanie and her team already disbursed $1.5M+ in the agricultural and renewable energy sector in Eastern, Western and Southern Africa. For this innovation & achievements, she was awarded by VC Include in 2022 for best climate finance innovation, by AfricArena for the “Most Promising Entrepreneur” Award, by the GITEX Top Africa Awards 2022, by UBS Women in Fintech Awards and by Ecobank Fintech Challenge 2024.