Ebanx, a payments fintech company helping global companies grow in Latin America and Africa, today announced Wiza Jalakasi as its new Director of Africa Market Development.
Jalakasi comes in with the mission to expand and develop EBANX’s operations across the region, strengthen the connections between its global merchants and African consumers and provide in-depth knowledge about the flourishing digital market in Africa. With more than 13 years of experience in African countries, he specializes in the setup and operations of high-performance technology startups across Africa, and has founded and built tech startups in the B2B and B2C space.
Jalakasi joins EBANX at a time of geographic expansion, product portfolio growth, and a sharpened focus on the core business of international payments as the basis for the next decade. The fintech company recently announced its first expansion outside of Latin America to Africa, launching operations in Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa and reaching the milestone of having payments operations in 18 countries. At the same time, it launched a flurry of new payment innovations.
“EBANX has more than 10 years of track record in solving payments and helping global businesses grow in Latin America. Joining this company is a fantastic opportunity to cement the credibility of the payments industry and digital economy in Africa, and help to connect global players to this huge market which is full of potential”, said Wiza Jalakasi, the new Director of Africa Market Development at EBANX. “Latin America and Africa have a lot in common when it comes to payment fragmentation and digitization. And EBANX has the robust technology, integration capabilities, and global expertise in rising markets needed to tackle these challenges. It is truly special to be the partner of the largest merchants in the world in solving some of the challenges that I face as a consumer here, and to influence how the world thinks about Africa.”
“Jalakasi will play a key role in expanding EBANX’s footprint in the African region, which is the next growth frontier for digital payments and the digital market in several verticals, like SaaS/cloud, streaming, digital games and online retail. He is an important addition to the team, bringing all his expertise in solving local payments for international companies that want to connect with millions of African companies and digital consumers,” said Paula Bellizia, President of Global Payments at EBANX.
Prior to EBANX, Jalakasi served as vice president of Global Merchant Business at Chipper Cash, a cross-border mobile money service. He serves as a technical partner at Rally Cap Ventures, a global collective combining capital, operating expertise, and networks into a collaborative investment community targeting emerging markets.
Jalakasi’s appointment follows the arrival of Fabio Scopeta as EBANX’s new Chief Product and Technology Officer (CTPO) in January to lead the fintech’s Product and Technology divisions globally. The company recently appointed Sean Yu as its Commercial Director, based out of Shanghai, China, who is leading the Business Development, Key Account Management, and Merchant Support teams in China, and Greg Cornwell as its new VP of Business Development in November 2022.