Queen Máxima meets Affinity Africa customers during visit to Ghana’s Makola Market
The UN Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health met women entrepreneurs using Affinity’s banking services, highlighting the role of accessible financial solutions in supporting small businesses and building financial resilience.
Accra, Ghana – 9 November 2026. Affinity Africa, Ghana’s leading digital banking platform, was part of Her Majesty Queen Máxima of the Netherlands’ official programme in Ghana, which included a visit to Affinity customers at Makola Market in Accra on Tuesday, 3 November. Queen Máxima, who serves as the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA), met women traders using Affinity’s financial services and heard firsthand how access to payments, savings and loans is helping entrepreneurs manage their finances, run their businesses and plan for the future.
During her 2–5 November visit, focused on advancing financial health in Ghana, Queen Máxima spoke with Joyce Ketu, an Affinity customer rebuilding her business following a fire. Her experience highlighted how access to savings, loans and personal support can help small business owners navigate financial challenges, while underscoring the importance of insurance, which Affinity is introducing, and longer-term financing in protecting livelihoods and supporting future growth.
For many small business owners, financial health means balancing the needs of their businesses with those of their households. Having money available to restock, cover everyday expenses and cope with unexpected setbacks can make a significant difference to their financial stability.
“Financial inclusion is not simply about giving people access. It’s about providing the tools they need to manage their finances, grow their businesses and build resilience for when unexpected challenges arise,” said Dr Tarek Mouganie, Founder of Affinity Africa. “The experiences shared by entrepreneurs at Makola Market reflect the realities of millions of people across Ghana. At Affinity, we’re building banking services that are accessible, affordable and genuinely relevant to our customers’ everyday lives. That is financial health.”
Since launching publicly in October 2024, Affinity Africa has reimagined banking through a fully digital platform offering free personal and business accounts, savings, investment products, seamless payments, transfers, and one of Ghana’s most affordable lending portfolios. The company has grown to over 150,000 customers.
HM Queen Máxima’s visit comes at an important moment for Ghana’s financial sector. According to the World Bank’s Global Findex 2025, 81% of adults held a financial account in 2024, up from 29% in 2011. Yet ensuring that greater financial access translates into lasting financial health remains a critical priority.
