African Fintech Signal Check 2019: Nigeria's Killing It! (Part 1) feat. Wiza Jalakasi

African Fintech Signal Check 2019: Nigeria's Killing It! (Part 1) feat. Wiza Jalakasi

Author: African Tech Roundup December 12, 2019 Duration: 1:15:31
The last couple of months or so have been rather eventful for Africa's fintech scene— particularly in Nigeria where Interswitch notably attained unicorn status in November following Visa acquiring 20% of the company for a reported $200 million. Twitter and Square CEO Jack Dorsey's much-publicised visit to Africa last month also did much to put a global spotlight on the continent’s fintech arena, and the subsequent capital raises by OPay (backed by Opera) and PalmPay (backed by Transsion) drew attention to the on-going race for platform dominance in the space. In this instalment of the African Tech Roundup podcast, Andile Masuku and The Subtext’s Osarumen Osamuyi are joined by Malawian mobile tech entrepreneur, Wiza Jalakasi, to unpack some of the more pertinent fintech industry signals and discuss their implications for the continent’s tech and innovation ecosystem at large. (To skip the introductory niceties, head straight to [11:58].) Wiza is a passionate USSD proponent who formerly headed up business development and international expansion at Africa’s Talking. He is currently the head of strategy and business development at Hover. Questions discussed in this episode include: 1) Is the hype around Jack Dorsey’s recent Africa visit well-deserved? [12:38] 2) Why might PalmPay’s $40 million seed round be the most significant China-related fintech startup play of late? [25:47] 3) Are aspiring ‘banks’ like Google and Facebook well-positioned to dominate Africa’s fintech industry? [28:52] 4) Is there credence to Jack Dorsey’s citing of Bitcoin as a key part of the future of African fintech? [37:55] 5) How significant is the trend towards digital-first and digital-only banks? [50:46] 6) Could the Zimbabwean mobile telco NetOne spark a continental trend by making mobile money transactions free? [1:01:57] 7) How will Google’s new Play Store lending term restrictions for financial services apps impact microlenders on the continent? [1:07:34] To view resources referenced in this episode, visit https://www.africantechroundup.com/fintech-signal-check-2019-part-1/ Image credit: Namnso Ukpanah

For nearly a decade, the African Tech Roundup Podcast has served as a vital listening post for anyone serious about understanding the continent's digital transformation. Hosted by co-founders Andile Masuku and Musa Kalenga, this long-running series moves beyond surface-level headlines to foster genuine, substantive dialogue. Each episode convenes a dynamic mix of startup founders, venture capitalists, policymakers, and established tech leaders, creating a unique space where strategy, critique, and opportunity intersect. The conversations you'll hear are unfiltered and forward-looking, grounded in local realities while maintaining a necessary global outlook. Tuning into this podcast means gaining access to the nuanced discussions that shape Africa's technology, business, and entrepreneurship landscapes from the ground up. It’s less about hype and more about the hard questions, the lessons from both failures and successes, and the collaborative thinking required to build sustainably. If your work or curiosity is connected to Africa's economic future, African Tech Roundup provides the context and clarity often missing from mainstream coverage, making it an indispensable resource for informed perspective and actionable insight.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

African Tech Roundup Podcast
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Duration: 1:17:49
Episode overview:Seyi Ebenezer didn't come to fintech from a hackathon or an accelerator. He came from KPMG's audit desks and Access Bank's corporate finance floors. These are environments where the numbers had to add up…