Talking Success | The Home of Fintech

Send us Fan Mail Talent, culture, and the future of work take centre stage in this episode of Talking Success, recorded with Absa Group at the heart of Africa’s fintech ecosystem. Host Darren Franks sits down with KG Bako, Managing Executive for Talent Management & Transitions in Absa’s Human Capital leadership team, to explore how a leading Pan-African bank is innovating in talent management,...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Talking Success (Part 2), Darren Franks sat down with Kevin Odudoh, Ati Ngubevana and Peter Malebye from Vodacom Business. They tell us how they are approaching AI with a clear business lens, drawing on capabilities proven inside the Group and now offered to enterprise clients. The focus is practical: financial inclusion, fraud reduction, compliance and measurab...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Talking Success, Darren Franks sat down with Kevin Odudoh, Ati Ngubevana and Peter Malebye from Vodacom Business. They tell us how they are approaching AI with a clear business lens, drawing on capabilities proven inside the Group and now offered to enterprise clients. The focus is practical: financial inclusion, fraud reduction, compliance and measurable ROI. A...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Talking Success, Darren Franks sat down with Pauline Molloyi – Chief Product and Information Officer at OM Bank, for Part 2, to dig into cash realities, branch roles in a digital bank, what trust really means for customers, how onboarding can be both secure and simple, and how to keep innovating inside South Africa’s rigorous regulatory environment.  Pauline Mol...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode(Part 2), Darren Franks sat down with Kevin Odudoh from Vodacom Business and Tapfuma Mvere from XLink to dig into a reality every African FinTech leader knows well: you have to build for a moving target without breaking customer experience. Kevin Odudoh's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-odudoh/ Tapfuma Mvere's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode (Part 1), Darren chats with Kevin Odudoh from Vodacom Business and Tapfuma Mvere from XLink to discuss how their collaboration is shaping Africa’s payments ecosystem.  Beyond sponsorships and partnerships, Vodacom’s involvement reflects a deeper commitment to help fintechs, financial institutions, and businesses build scalable, compliant, and trusted systems that m...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, of Talking Success, Darren Franks sat down with Pauline Molloyi - Chief Product and Information Officer at OM Bank, to unpack what it looks like behind the scenes of their journey (Part 1)  Pauline Molloyi's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauline-molloyi-7b76891/ OM Bank's Website: https://www.oldmutual.co.za/bank Darren Franks' LinkedIn: htt...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Talking Success, The Best Fintech Podcast, Darren Franks sat down with Jim Marous- global banking influencer, co-publisher of The Financial Brand, host of Banking Transformed, and one of the most respected voices in digital banking. For decades, traditional banking has relied on physical presence - branches, tellers, and personal relationships. Yet as digital ad...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, "Building Trust in the Township Economy with Koola Capital", of Talking Success, The Best Fintech Podcast, Darren Franks sat down with Katie Dodge, Co-Founder of  Koola Capital, to talk about breaking barriers in SME financing. The informal economy, often called the township economy, is the backbone of South Africa’s entrepreneurial spirit. Despite its s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Darren Franks sat down with Theo Kitshoff, CEO of Sticcit, to unpack how to fix school payments and teaching money habits that actually matter.. Highlights:  Why school payments matter more than you think Why this matters now in South Africa The KPI shift schools and vendors need to make Theo Kitshoff's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theo-kitshoff-b0b6...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Darren Franks sat down with Jonathan Katende, CEO of Lipa World, to unpack how stablecoins are reshaping remittances, commerce, and financial access across Africa and beyond. Highlights:  The Big Problem: Remittances and Off-Ramping Navigating Regulation: The Elephant in the Room Africa’s Leapfrog Moment: Lessons from Mobile Adoption Highlights:  Jonathan Katende&...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we chat with Rinse Jacobs, Co-Founder and CEO, of Zazu, a new SME-focused FinTech platform launching in South Africa. We explore why Zazu chose South Africa as its starting point, what sets it apart from traditional banks and other neobanks and how it plans to simplify business banking for SMEs. Highlights: Customer experience - No more queueing for hours Breaking...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we chat with Jonatan Allback, Co-Founder and CEO, of Njia Pay, a  Cape Town-based startup. We unpack Njia Pay’s role in the ecosystem, and explore where the future of payments is headed - from stablecoins and PayShap to platform-level orchestration. This is more than a story about a startup. It’s a lens into how global fintech experience can reshape payments in em...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Darren chats with Trevor Gosling, Co-Founder and CEO of Lula.  It's Lula's tenth anniversary and when founded, South Africa's SME's had limited financing options, banks dominated the landscape, often leaving these businesses stuck in the lengthy approval process. Lula has become a cornerstone for SME finance, but where to from here?  Highlights...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode with Angela Shurina, Executive High-Performance Coach,  we unpack the human side of the FinTech journey, from cultural foundations and behaviour design to leadership transitions and accountability. Highlights: - Culture Evolves With the Business - Transitioning From Founder to CEO: A Whole New Role - Accountability Is a Human Motivator Angela Shurina's LinkedI...

Send us Fan Mail In part two of our conversation with Nevellan Moodley, Head Financial Services Advisory, we go deeper into the evolving fintech landscape, the value of good advisory partners, and why customer experience is the new battleground for financial services.  Highlights: - Why Early-Stage FinTechs Avoid Advisory Help - Africa’s FinTechs: The Trends Worth Watching - The Integration Advant...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode Darren Franks chats with Erin Louw, Chief People Officer at TymeBank, to discuss what it takes to build an agile, people-centric culture in a fast-growing FinTech. From harnessing people analytics with everyday tools to cultivating talent. Highlights: People-Centric Leadership in a Scaling FinTech Harnessing People Analytics to Drive Organisational Health Hiring a...

Send us Fan Mail The evolution of payment systems is reshaping how businesses interact with consumers, and Pick n Pay, a stalwart in South African retail, is at the forefront of this revolution. In this episode of Talking Success, Devon Moodley, Head of Financial Services and Value-Added Services at Pick n Pay, provides fascinating insights into the company’s strategies, challenges, and vision for...

Send us Fan Mail Mobile money has become a cornerstone of the financial technology (FinTech) sector. In this episode Darren Franks chats with Nikolai Barnwell, Founder and CEO of pawaPay about the world of mobile payments. 🌍 Mobile Money in South Africa: A Unique Challenge    💸 The Breadth of Mobile Money Across Africa ✅ Solving Multi-Jurisdictional Complexities Nikolai's LinkedIn: https:/...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Darren chats with Michael Yaacov Martin, Co-founder & CEO at Jifiti. Embedded finance and lending represent a paradigm shift in how consumers and businesses access financial services. From BNPL to long-term lending, these innovations are shaping the future of finance, making it more accessible and aligned with modern consumer behaviours. Highlights: 🤯 Embedde...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Darren chats with Michael Adamson, CEO - South Africa at eShandi. The world of lending is undergoing a seismic shift, with innovators like Ishandi redefining what it means to deliver financial services in Africa. Mike shares the journey of this rebranded challenger bank and its mission to address unmet needs in the lending ecosystem across Africa. Highlights: 🤯 T...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Darren chats with Idan Jaan, Co-Founder & COO at Flexclub. Idan tells us about the many challenges the automotive industry is facing and how FlexClub is transforming vehicle access in South Africa. Highlights: 🤯 The Pay-As-You-Go Model for Mobility 💫 Tech-Driven Solutions to Revolutionise the Rental Market 🤝 Adapting to Consumer Needs: Flexibility and Custo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode Darren chats with the "Laundry Man" Kenneth Rijock, a reformed money launder. Kenneth’s unique background—from laundering over $200 million for cartels to now working closely with law enforcement—offers a fascinating, behind-the-scenes perspective on the world of financial crime. Highlights: From Lawyer to Money Launderer: Kenneth’s Journey The Three Stag...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Darren chats with Mark McChlery, Chief Data & Analytics Officer at PayJustNow. Mark provides us with a unique insight into the company’s early challenges, evolution, and its key role in today’s economy. Highlights: 🤯 Understanding the Female Consumer 💫 Staying Relevant in a Competitive Market 🤝 Building Trust Through Social Proof Mark McChlery's Linked...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, Darren chats with Deon Nobrega and Bryan Habana from Paymenow. In an era where financial inclusion has become a buzzword, few companies truly walk the talk. PayMeNow, a South African startup, is setting a benchmark by offering a platform that brings together technology, empathy, and social impact, reshaping how employees access their earnings. These college roomma...