M-pesa was an experiment - conversation with Bob Collymore [Podcast]

Networking is hard. I struggle with it.

But you win at networking if you are able to strike a good conversation, laughter and lasting connection. I’ve had few of those.

This week’s podcast came about because of that. I was speaking at a London Business School event in April. Bob Collymore was also a speaker.

Bob is the CEO of Safaricom one of the leading telco in Africa and pioneer of Mpesa.

Mpesa is the world’s most developed mobile payment system. If there is any poster child of how innovative mobile technology is changing Africa, Mpesa will be a top contender.

So we met at the lobby during one of the breakout session.

After I introduced myself...I asked him to be a guest on my podcast. And he said yes. But I knew he is a busy man…. running the no.1 telco in Kenya. So I persuaded him to have the podcast on that day… at the hotel lobby.

He was tired….but he said yes. He is a good man.

We spoke about his journey from an immigrant in the UK to Japan, South Africa and now Kenya. I called him a business Fulani...a nomad.

We talked about how to be competitive without going into price wars, how to disrupt yourself, how Mpesa was an experiment that turned good.

“Luck is not a bad thing. I’m lucky that my company allows me achieve my personal goal which is to transform lives.”

How Safaricom won in Kenya by using tech to solve problems for the ‘man on the street’.

We chatted late into the night….and he had a flight to catch the day after.

This is a good episode if you want to understand the mindset of someone that runs a massively successful and impactful company in Africa.

Listen to the conversation

Building the Future Podcast chronicles the African growth story through one on one interviews with people who are using technology, entrepreneurship and innovative ideas to shape the future of the continent.

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