WISDOM — Mate Masie
We adhere to the African Union Agenda 2063 aims, focused on materialising the continent’s vision of an “integrated, prosperous and peaceful Africa, driven by its own citizens and representing a dynamic force in the international arena”.
In the financial services industry, our ambition is to build a pre-eminent, modern and continent-wide financial eco-system/platform.
Today, one of the key forces on our continent is the opportunity that digital transformation offers. Africa is teeming with pioneers building “digital bridges” within and between villages, countries and continents – at the same time connecting Africa to the global economy and its research communities. Understanding this massive shift, and how it can be harnessed to further the prosperity of Africa, will be vital throughout the continent. For instance, consumer consumption patterns will continue to force African organisations to digitise their products and services to provide more flexibility for their customers. To harness digital transformation and yield the desired result of shaping local economies from it, it is important to follow a socially responsible approach that includes organisational change management and a shift in both mindset and culture.
We strongly believe that digital transformation has the potential of enabling economic growth, job creating and improving the social welfare of the society in which we operate. Our goal is to create new rules of engagement using non-traditional approaches to best cater to our customers’ needs, elevate trust and ultimately have a significant impact on mankind while inspiring, driving innovation and unifying our own internal culture.
With this vision in mind, our objectives are the following:
- Understanding and empathising with the customer. Focusing on digital transformation to unlock significant efficiency gains and also to create a more intimate relationship with customers and a more humane experience.
- Differentiating ourselves from our competitors. Using platforms that make our customers strategic assets for financial and social return, fueling our competitive advantage. Drawing our inspiration from the community; in order to align their priorities, create meaningful change and ultimately, generate new value.
- Focusing on increasing public confidence. Driving inclusion and consumer education – West Africa, for instance, has the lowest share of adults holding a bank account, with close to 14% of adults reportedly having an official bank account.
- Reducing the key impediments to financial inclusion and prosperity. Driving access to underserved regions and communities. In many countries, opening a bank account is a hurdle that necessitates having a formal address, identification card, proof of formal employment and a constant stream of income with a minimum required deposit.
- Building a heterogeneous economy. Empowering women to thrive, as they are key buyers around the globe, to help maximise their potential and their contribution which directly impacts on the development of their offspring and respective communities.
- Adopting new technologies. Helping to unleash the potential of digital transformation and its innovations, such as cloud computing, mobility, the Internet of Things and social media platforms, both to derive positive impact on society and to disseminate our message also.
- Protecting the environment. Promoting environmental principles to our customers as well as environmentally friendly financial projects.
The key to our success truly lies in leadership, with a sense of purpose and understanding of what is required to transform our communities and drive our organisation.