24 win laurels at 4th Ghana Fintech Awards

24 win laurels at 4th Ghana Fintech Awards. The 4th Ghana Fintech Awards this year saw 19 institutions and five individuals in digital finance industry walk away with laurels amidst glitz, glamour and pageantry.

The event, organized by the Ghana Fintech and Payments Association (GFPA) in collaboration with Arkel Limited, recognized innovation, compliance, and partnerships that are shaping the industry.

In all, 29 awards were given under 25 categories. Some companies won more than one award, while some categories were also won by more than one company in partnership.

Read also: Weekly Cybersecurity News Roundup.

Of the 24 winners, eTranzact Ghana Limited emerged tops, grabbing the most coveted Fintech Company of the Year in addition to another award, Leading Payments Technologies Service Provider.

But the one that won most awards was First Atlantic Bank (FAB), walking away with three standalone institutional awards, one partnership award, and one individual award, a clear indication that banks are getting more digital and very innovative with it.

The five awards FAB won include the Digital Bank of the Year, Mobile Banking App of the Year, and Banking Innovative Product of the Year (SME/Corporate), and their Chief Technical Officer, Frank Johnson Gbedzi, also won Fintech CTO/CIO of the Year. They also won the Fintech and Banking Partnership of the Year together with MTN MoMo and Tarya.

Leading mobile money platform, Mobile Money Limited from MTN Ghana, did not disappoint. Even though they did not win a standalone award, they won two awards in partnership with others.

MTN MoMo, together with Brij and G-Money, won the Fintech and Non-Banking Partnership of the Year, and they also won the Fintech and Banking Partnership of the Year together with FAB and Tarya.

Among the fintech start-ups, Brij Fintech Ghana Limited also stood tall with three awards. Apart from the one they won in partnership with MTN and G-Money, Brij also won the highly coveted Fintech Platform of the Year and their staff, Beatrice Bota also won Fintech Personality of the Year (Female).

Last year, ChIPSS CEO Archie Hesse won the honorary Lifetime Achievement Award, but the year the late Herman Chinnery-Hesse, a man who stands tall when it comes to ICT in Africa, was honoured in death, and he family was present to receive the citation and plaque on his behalf.

Below is the full list of awards on the night:

1. Fintech Company of the Year – Etranzact
2.  Leading Payments Technologies Service Provider – Etranzact
3. Mobile Banking App of the Year – FAB Mobile App
4. Digital Bank of the Year – First Atlantic Bank
5. Banking Innovative Product of the Year (SME/Corporate) – Corporate Internet Banking from FAB
6. Fintech & Bank partnership of the year – FAB, MTN MoMo and Tarya
7. Fintech CTO/CIO of the Year – Frank Johnson Gbedzi from FAB
8. Fintech & Non-Bank partnership of the year – Brij, MoMo and GMoney
9. ESG Bank of the Year – CalBank
10. HealthTech of the year – DrugNet
11. Crowdfunding Company of the Year – GrowforMe
12. Mobile Micro-Insurance Innovator of the Year – Bluespace and Paystack
13. Micro Finance – Fintech Partnership of the year – Built and Fido
14. Fintech Platform of the Year – BrijX
15. Fintech Law Firm of the Year – Sustineri Attorneys PRUC
16. Fintech Innovation of the year – Lady by Ladder Technology
17. Fintech Start-up of the Year – Ladder Technology System Ghana Ltd
18. Long standing Fintech company of the Year – IT Consortium
19. Young Fintech leader of the year – Ebenezer Ghanney – WeWire
20. Fintech for Financial Inclusion firm of the year – Affinity
21. Compliant Fintech Company of the Year – Global Accelerex Ghana
22. Cybersecurity company of the year – Innovare
23. Fintech Personality of the Year (Female) – Beatrice Bota – Brij
24. Fintech Personality of the Year (Male) – Edem Q. Dzorpkpata – Calbank
25. Lifetime Achievement for Digital Technology Innovation – Honorary Posthumous Award – Herman Chinnery-Hesse

The theme for this year’s even was “Building Trust in Ghana’s Digital Economy: The Essential Role of Cybersecurity and Data Privacy.”

Speaking on the theme, President of GFPA, Martin Kwame Awagah stated that it has become even more critical for the industry players and regulators to join forces and create a trusted ecosystem that will drive financial inclusion and support economic in this era of digitalization.

In a speech read on his behalf, Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Narty George said government remains committed to supporting fintech innovation while ensuring a secure and enabling regulatory environment.

“Strengthening cyber incident response mechanisms will swiftly address threats and maintain financial stability. Expanding capacity-building initiatives will equip businesses and individuals with the necessary cybersecurity skills to navigate the digital space safely. Encouraging investments in digital infrastructure will sustain a robust and secure fintech industry,” the Minister emphasized.