Beyond Money: Africa's Remittance Lifeline - The Human and Economic Impact
Join our live webnar with Simona Schreier
Remittances are one of the most important financial connections between migrants and their home countries. For millions of families across Africa, money sent from abroad helps cover everyday needs, education, healthcare and housing. They influence families and communities, move through increasingly complex financial systems, and have the potential to contribute to investment and long-term economic development.
At the same time, high transaction costs, informal transfer channels, currency instability, inequality and brain drain raise important questions about their wider impact.
Our speaker is:
- Simona Schreier, Project Manager at the Munich Forum for Dialogue, where she coordinates international initiatives on migration cooperation, dialogue and sustainable development. She also contributes to the field as a PhD researcher, bringing together academic research and practical experience in migration, reintegration and transnational development.
Event Details
Beyond Money: Africa’s Remittance Lifeline
Date: 18.09.2026
Time: 6pm – 7pm (CEST)
Language: English
Venue: Online (Microsoft Teams)
Click here to join the webinar.
Together, we will discuss:
- People, families & communities – How remittances shape household decisions, social relationships, inequality and communities, including the role of social remittances.
- The changing financial landscape – How formal and informal channels, FinTech, digital finance, transaction costs and regulation are changing the way money moves across borders.
- Economic impact & investment – Whether remittances can move beyond everyday consumption to support businesses, jobs, investment and long-term economic opportunities.
- Policy, diaspora & the remittance paradox – How governments and financial institutions can strengthen the development potential of remittances while addressing challenges such as brain drain.
Our three-part podcast series Remittances and Development introduces many of the questions we will explore further during the live discussion.
Listen to the episodes, then join us for the webinar to ask questions, share your perspective and continue the conversation.