[1.5 min read.
The Ukheshe family recently welcomed Victor Ndlovu as Vice President of Ukheshe Africa and Paul Opie as Head of Issuing. Both appointments come at an important time for the business as we expand our horizons and look to the rest of the continent for new, exciting opportunities. Paul and Victor are both passionate about financial inclusion and the many ways in which innovative fintech can create and sustain wealth in Africa.
Victor says financial inclusion remains a challenge on the continent as millions still lack access to regulated financial services. Prior to joining Ukheshe he worked for Visa International for 12 years. In addition to being Country Manager for Kenya, he also managed Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, and Comoros. Prior to Visa, he spent 17 years working in the banking industry in Zimbabwe. Says Victor, “Ukheshe provides Fintech solutions that accelerate economic growth for the underbanked allowing for full financial inclusion. This fits perfectly with my professional passion of helping people step out of poverty in Africa and contribute to the growth of their economies and communities.”
Paul says he is most looking forward to working on local solutions that meet local market requirements and expanding them more broadly. He plans to draw on his wealth of experience having previously worked at Wirecard South Africa where he oversaw issuing products while driving regional business development for the financial institutions vertical. “The challenges in the African payment industry, as well as current global trends, presents an opportunity for Ukheshe to provide cost-effective payment acceptance infrastructure, such as QR code or mobile, rather than POS. An increase in acceptance creates trust and limits the want to withdraw cash from ATMs. Low-cost acceptance, transacting and open-loop interoperability for local use and international e-commerce is a true opportunity for our business,” he says.
As trends on the continent continue to shift towards digital channels, products, and services across all categories, we look forward to establishing and enhancing key partnerships in Africa.