the most influential men in digital transformation
Islam Shawky, Co-Founder & CEO, Paymob (Egypt) Shawky’s impact on the fintech industry in Africa and the Middle East cannot be overstated. He is widely recognised as a pioneer in the Africa digital payments space, having co-founded Paymob. The Cairo-headquartered omnichannel payments facilitator that has a 1,100-person strong team across the MENA and Pakistan. It offers more than 40 payment methods, and it empowers over 150,000 SME merchants to manage and scale their businesses. The company has partnered with the Central Bank of Egypt, banks, telcos, and other fintech companies to push the ecosystem forward. Through Paymob’s innovative infrastructure technology, SMEs across the MEA region can now accept digital transactions through a variety of methods, including cards, digital wallets, tap-on-phone, and flexible payments with a buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) model. This has greatly enhanced financial inclusion in the region, making it easier for more people to participate in the digital economy. In recognition of his contribution to the fintech industry, Shawky was named an Endeavour Entrepreneur in 2022, and he was also appointed as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (TIEC). His achievements have not gone unnoticed, with Paymob raising $50 million in Series B funding in May 2022, bringing its total funding to over $68.5 million. Shawky’s impact on the digital payments landscape is truly remarkable, and his story is an inspiration to entrepreneurs and innovators everywhere. Through his vision and leadership, he has transformed the fintech industry in Africa and the Middle East, making it easier for people to participate in the digital economy and driving economic growth and development in the region.
Benjamin Fernandes CEO, NALA (Tanzania) Benjamin Fernandes is the founder and CEO of NALA, a digital financial services platform that enables people to access their financial accounts in one application while allowing them to make mobile money payments offline (internet-free). Nala originally started in Tanzania and spread its wings to the rest of East Africa in 2022. In 2023, the fintech start-up has already launched in Europe and has shown promise to achieve a lot more this year. Fernandez is held in high regard as he has broken a record in the country. In 2017, he became the first Tanzanian in history to attend both the Stanford Graduate School of Business and the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government. Before founding Nala, he had an eventful and lifestyle. He has worked for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and was at one time revered as one of the biggest sports reporters in Tanzania. Born and raised in Dar es Salaam, he had the opportunity to study abroad where he got a chance to work for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Tanzanians still freshly remember his decision to bring his skills back home even after he qualified for a hefty salary after as a post-graduate at Stanford, renowned as the institution having the highest post MBA salary in the world). www.cioafrica.co | FEBRUARY 2023 | CIO Africa Magazine | by dx⁵
13
