Fintech Law and Regulation: An African Perspective

Fintech Law and Regulation: An African Perspective

By Vivienne Lawack

Juta. $35

Fintech Law and Regulation: An African Perspective has come about in the context of the increasing call to adapt financial regulation to cater for fintech. This book aims to provide an African perspective on the regulatory and policy issues that fintech has given rise to. The book highlights the different aspects of fintech, followed by the development of fintech and its penetration in Africa. Later chapters consider pertinent regulatory and policy issues that have arisen with fintech. The final chapter expounds on the many lessons drawn from the various chapters and makes recommendations to show how the legal and regulatory gaps can be overcome. The global financial crisis of 2008 represented a tipping point in the interaction between financial services and technology – the period from then till now has been called the ‘age of fintech boom’. On a continent where fintech is not only ‘disrupting’, but possibly ‘erupting’ rapidly, one of the biggest challenges is the lack of policy and regulatory measures and sometimes the lack of legislation and other legal instruments to provide a sound legal and regulatory framework for fintech. The book suggests that additional research is needed on the practicalities of the drafting of policies, legislation and other regulatory instruments. Regional and continental regulatory co-ordination and co-operation must be strengthened if our continent is to realise the full potential and benefits of fintech.