Karima El Hakim: Shaping Africa’s Fintech Landscape
Karima El Hakim is a formidable force in Africa’s fintech ecosystem, seamlessly blending venture capital, innovation, and financial inclusion. As the Country Director of Egypt and Co-Director for Africa at Plug and Play Tech Center, she is at the forefront of driving investment and innovation across a continent rich with untapped potential.
A Visionary Leader in Innovation
In a recent interview with Morocco World News, El Hakim articulated her mission: “I support our innovation and investment efforts across the continent.” Her work involves collaborating with startups, corporations, government institutions, and regulators to create next-generation technology solutions that can transform the financial landscape of Africa.
In just a few weeks, El Hakim will share her insights at GITEX Africa 2025, participating in the Future of Finance Summit. This event will serve as a platform for her to discuss the future of fintech and the critical role it plays in economic development.
From Strategy to Fintech
El Hakim’s journey began in France, where she honed her skills in strategy at Danone. Upon returning to Egypt, she quickly made her mark in the investment landscape, working with Orascom Development’s investment arm before joining Egypt Ventures and Falak Startups.
A pivotal moment in her career came when she joined Fawry, one of the region’s leading fintech companies. There, she successfully deployed over $10 million in investments into various tech ventures. A notable achievement was Fawry’s investment in Cashi, which revolutionized Sudan’s digital payments landscape.
Driving Financial Inclusion
At Plug and Play Tech Center, El Hakim plays a crucial role in advising the National Bank of Egypt, the largest public-sector bank in the country. She is actively involved in investing in local founders, with nearly half of their portfolio consisting of fintech or fintech-embedded startups.
El Hakim emphasizes the importance of collaboration with the Financial Regulatory Authority to foster progressive licensing frameworks and promote the adoption of enabling infrastructure such as electronic Know Your Customer (eKYC) and cybersecurity measures.
Addressing Challenges in African Fintech
El Hakim identifies several significant challenges facing the African fintech sector, including fragmented regulatory frameworks, limited digital identity systems, and inconsistent data-sharing protocols. However, she also sees immense opportunities as payments become commoditized and embedded fintech solutions gain traction.
“At Plug and Play, we focus on identifying and backing infrastructure-enabling startups—especially SaaS models—that not only serve end users but also assist corporate and government entities in digitizing their internal systems,” she explains.
Her team acts as connectors, investors, and advisors, fostering innovation ecosystems and supporting meaningful digital transformation. They help large institutions, particularly banks, develop capabilities to embrace open innovation, co-design pilots, and collaborate with startup partners.
The Role of AI in Fintech
El Hakim views the integration of artificial intelligence into fintech as both an opportunity and a challenge. “Africa has no shortage of talent, but we face infrastructural constraints such as limited cloud access, fragmented data availability, and inconsistent capital deployment,” she notes.
This duality highlights the need for strategic investments in technology and infrastructure to harness the continent’s potential fully.
Empowering Women Entrepreneurs
Beyond her professional responsibilities, El Hakim adopts a humanist approach to economic empowerment, particularly for marginalized communities. She serves on Egypt’s National Council for Women’s Economic Committee, where she advocates for digital financial inclusion for women in rural areas and promotes women’s leadership in investment decision-making.
“I’m a firm believer in inclusion and the integration of ESG principles into technology strategy, particularly as it relates to data governance,” she asserts. Her passion for supporting women founders who break barriers and drive innovation across African and Arab ecosystems is evident in her work.
Building Pan-African Connections
El Hakim recognizes the importance of events like GITEX Africa 2025 as vital platforms for connecting government actors, investors, and innovators. Her priorities include championing North-South collaboration, elevating African fintech champions ready for regional and global scaling, and building strategic partnerships.
“Through better reporting, coordination, and storytelling, we can present Africa with a unified voice globally,” she emphasizes. This vision reflects her commitment to fostering a collaborative environment that can propel Africa’s fintech landscape forward.
A Vision for the Future
El Hakim envisions a future where Africa’s fintech landscape is defined by embedded infrastructure—financial technologies that empower other industries such as agriculture, logistics, healthcare, and climate resilience. She highlights Plug and Play’s success in Morocco, pointing to portfolio companies like Chari and WafR that have emerged as regional leaders.
“Morocco is clearly at the forefront of North Africa’s leadership, not only in fintech but across several key technology verticals,” she states, showcasing her belief in the continent’s potential.
Balancing Work and Life
When she’s not busy transforming Africa’s fintech landscape, El Hakim enjoys pilates and golf, activities that require the same precision and strategic thinking she applies to her professional endeavors.
Don’t miss the opportunity to learn from this visionary leader at the Future of Finance Summit, running from April 14-16, where her insights will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of fintech innovators.