Good Things Happen E1: The Rise of Fintech in Africa
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In series 5, episode 1 of Good Things Happen, host Jorian Murray is joined by Charles Savage, CEO of Purple Group, Bradley Wattrus, Co-founder of Yoco and Keyuri Chibba, Head of Africa Digital FX Sales in Citi’s Market’s division to discuss the Rise of Fintech in Africa, and share their pioneering stories in the financial technology space.
Charles Savage discusses his online investment platform and reflects on the challenges faced by the South African investment landscape and the need for a more user-friendly interface to drive the democratization of investing.
Bradley Wattrus highlights the importance of empowering small businesses in South Africa by providing them with affordable and accessible point-of-sale systems and the need for infrastructure development and regulatory frameworks to support the growth of Fintech in Africa.
Keyuri Chibba discusses her role in supporting businesses with foreign exchange solutions. She highlights the growth of remittance businesses and e-commerce in Africa, as well as the potential of cryptocurrencies in the region.
Our guests express optimism for the opportunities in innovation, collaboration, and the development of second-tier services and raise the importance of aligning regulatory frameworks, improving infrastructure, and fostering a strong startup culture to drive the growth of the Fintech ecosystem in Africa.
Citigroup (“Citi”), Purplegroup and Yoco are not affiliated and are independent companies, though Purplegroup and Yoco has a relationship with Citi through Citi’s Global Markets. The speakers’ views are their own and may not necessarily reflect the views of Citi or any of its affiliates.
All opinions are subject to change without notice. Neither the information provided, nor any opinion expressed constitutes a solicitation for the purchase or sale of any security. The expressions of opinion are not intended to be a forecast of future events or a guarantee of future results.
Keyuri Chibba, Head of Africa Digital FX Sales, Markets, Citi
Keyuri Chibba is the Head of Africa Digital FX Sales in Citi’s Market’s division covering Corporates, Financial Institutions and Digital companies. She leverages Citi’s global FX franchise which comprises of 120 countries and over 500 currency pairs.
Keyuri joined Citi’s Johannesburg branch in 2017, working within Corporate Sales and Derivatives before moving to the Digital FX Solutions team in 2020 and relocating to London in 2022. She is passionate about the economic growth and potential that exists on her home continent and focuses on providing FinTechs and Digital Companies across Africa with end-to-end digital FX solutions. Keyuri co-partners with clients, where liquidity and capital controls across many African countries can be challenging, to create bespoke, innovative solutions. She combines her FX expertise with Citi’s technology, to help her clients move funds cross border, create efficiencies and empower economic growth.
Prior to Citi, Keyuri worked at Nedbank CIB, structuring client FX hedging solutions. She was a member for 2 years on the Executive Management board in Citi’s South Africa branch, enjoys mentoring and holds a BSc Finance degree from the University of Cape Town.
Charles Savage, CEO, Purple Group
Charles Savage is CEO of listed financial services entity Purple Group. He is an experienced Chief Executive Officer with a demonstrated history of working in the financial services industry. Charles is a strong business development professional skilled in Capital Markets, Management, Hedge Funds, Strategic Planning, and Business Development. He has been in fintech for about 20 years and is continuing his journey with the growth of EasyEquities – a leading fintech which now boast over 2 million clients and impressive growing revenue across both retail and institutional clients.
Charles is passionate about mentoring and empowering people to grow and protect their wealth. He has a low tolerance for “impossible”, loves to innovate and spend time with his wife and children. Occasional surfer, fisherman and chef.
Bradley Wattrus, Co-Founder and CFO, Yoco
Bradley co-founded Yoco, an innovative fintech company dedicated to empowering small businesses in South Africa. Yoco provides tools that enable entrepreneurs to get paid, run their businesses more efficiently, and drive growth. With over 150,000 merchants onboarded, Yoco plays a vital role in the digital payments landscape.
Bradley studied risk management in Johannesburg and began his career in strategy consulting with Monitor Group. He then joined Rocket Internet in Lagos, Nigeria, to help launch Jumia.ng before starting Yoco. As the CFO at Yoco, he manages the legal, risk, and finance functions and drives strategy for new financial services and market expansion.
