Page 168 - Forbes - USA (October 2019)
P. 168
PROMOTION
a robust digital security environment. Resource Group has already had a
“Allied Wallet already uses a protected constructive and tangible impact on
state-of-the-art system and PCI-DSS government automation and citizen
Level 1 Compliance, as well as SHA- experience in the region, which has
256 SSL encryption. As the ecosystem contributed to digital transforma-
gets larger and the risks increase, so tion in the Middle East and African
will the need to stay five steps ahead.” region. According to Itani, while
obstacles remain for sustaining a
Affordability is essential as well. long-term positive business environ-
The way Khawaja sees it, the price of ment in Africa, “we have been dili-
making secure payments will have to gently working together to mitigate
continue to drop. “With connectivity the challenges that range from the
to third-party features and new pay- underlying technology infrastructure
ment solutions, you’d think that prices to the market landscape.
would climb,” he says. “We’ll continue
to go the other way. We already offer “There is a strong need in these
rates starting at less than 1%. As markets for innovative digital services
N’gunu Tiny, Chairman of Emerald Group Africa’s youth come onboard, the size that can revolutionize access to digi-
of the user base will grow, and Allied tal commerce, improve cashless pay-
Wallet will lead the way with acces- ments and reduce reliance on paper
sible prices.” currency that are in limited supply,”
Itani adds. “Through this partnership,
Khawaja foresees a world in which we hope to fuel these local economies
the consumer experience improves, by empowering their citizens with
where nearly everyone can also reliable, convenient and accessible
become the merchant. “In the very banking solutions.”
near future,” he says, “especially in
Africa, business will be in the hands Khawaja’s business associate,
of the people—the one-woman or Angolan banker and thought leader
one-man enterprise connected to the N’gunu Tiny, calls the business envi-
world, creating wealth with guaran- ronment in Africa dynamic and com-
teed freedom of mobility.” plex. “The continent still lacks basic
structure that many investors would
PARTNERING WITH INDUSTRY not find attractive. The biggest chal-
EXPERTS lenge is to change the mind-set of
investors toward the continent. His-
Hisham Itani, Chairman and CEO of Resource Group Allied Wallet Africa has enlisted torically, investor sentiment toward
partners with insights and expertise Africa has been shaped by the per-
in the African market. Joining Kha- ception of a continent exploited solely
waja are Hisham Itani, Chairman and for its raw materials and a headline
CEO of Resource Group based in Bei- country risk assessment. It is impor-
rut; N’gunu Tiny, Chairman of Emer- tant that the investment community
ald Group based in Luanda, Angola; divorces from the mentality that
Bilal Joueidi, co-founder of Allied Africa is one country, and views it as
Wallet Africa and commercial real 55 separate sovereign nations, with
estate expert based in the UAE; and different governments, diverse econ-
Rwandan business leader Aimable omies open for investment and social
Mpore. constructs.”
“Resource Group is a business Emerald Group brings its unique
incubator and leading technology DevOps technique of organization.
investment group with a portfolio of Development and Operations are
diversified businesses that capitalizes entwined under one roof, enabling
on technology and human talent,” Africa to leapfrog to the forefront of
Khawaja says. The Group has a deep e-commerce while aiming to integrate
understanding of local markets across digital ledger technology (blockchain)
the Middle East and Africa. Its CEO into the mix.Allied Wallet Africa’s
shares Khawaja’s goal of equipping partners are immersed in the Afri-
youth to succeed in the digital era. can market and become crucial to the
Rwandan business leader Aimable Mpore
2 Emerging Markets
