Uganda, Feb. 12 -- It's no secret that there's still a long way to go when it comes to achieving true financial inclusion in Africa. In 2021, 45 percent of people in sub-Saharan Africa didn't have access to a formal bank account. That doesn't just make it difficult for them to save effectively, but also to access formal lines of credit.

The thing is, when most people talk about financial exclusion and the proposed solutions to it, they tend to focus on the "big" economic movers that come with financial inclusion. A lot of attention, for example, is given to an affordable homes, vehicle financing, business and education loans.

That's understandable too as those are all vital tools in helping people advance economically, but financial inc...