Mobile Money & Cashless Societies in Africa: An interview with Orange's Chief Mobile Money Officer in Kenya

Snehar Shah is Chief Orange Money Officer at Orange Telkom Kenya and will be representing OTK at the East Africa Com conference, taking place at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi on the 17-18 April. East Africa Com’s organisers, the Com World Series, had a chat with Snehar to find out a bit more about his perspective on the market, and his message for delegates next month.

CWS: In brief, please describe your organisation and the work it is doing in East Africa.

SS: Telkom Kenya is the incumbent integrated telecoms operator in Kenya. France Telecom – Orange acquired a 51% stake in the business four years ago and just over year ago we launch Orange Money in Kenya

CWS: How would you sum up the characteristic of the East African telecoms, media and ICT industry this year?

SS: The launch of agency banking one year ago and financial institutions adopting the mobile channel to serve their customers has provided an opportunity to expand the eco system of mobile money

CWS: What would you say is your organisations priority for 2012?

SS: Orange Money has been launched on a robust platform involving a bank account which provides significant opportunities to expand products including bulk payments for corporates, loan and insurance products, international money transfer, partnerships with card associations etc

CWS: Which type of services do you think consumers are going to be calling for in 2012?

SS: Consumers want convenience and cost effective and comprehensive products which cannot be provided by a single player. Therefore our approach is to partner with the Eco system for the benfit of the consumer

CWS: What do you think are the 3 key attributes needed to succeed in East Africa’s telecoms, media and ICT industry going forward?

SS: Innovation, open partnerships with the eco system players and profitable models

CWS: Which key message do you want to highlight to the audience during your participation at East Africa Com in Nairobi this April?

SS: Since, apart from a couple of anomalies, mobile money has not really delivered the desired results, Orange Money would like to show that by adopting a different approach of open partnerships with the Eco system players, there can be a win-win-win situation to benefit us, our partners and the customers.

Snehar Shah is Chief Orange Money Officer at Orange Telkom Kenya. He has had fifteen years experience in the Telecoms and Banking Industry. Snehar was made Deputy Chief Financial Officer in Kenya three years ago, and last year, since being appointed as Head of Orange Money, successfully launched Orange Money in Kenya with a rich and differentiated product offering for this market. The product will soon be expanded to other markets in East Africa.

About East Africa Com

This year's event is the 7th annual - and the conference and exhibition have been the premier meeting place for senior executives from telecoms, media and ICT in the region. It delivers the most heavy-weight speaker-line up featuring influential thought leaders, as well as new, smaller entrants - and everything in between.

You’ll gain a comprehensive overview of all the latest “need to know” topics in the multi-streamed conference while meeting potential new suppliers and partners in the 25 stand networking exhibition which is packed with some of the world’s foremost technology and solution providers.

If you do telecoms business in East Africa, this is an event you cannot afford to miss! Click here to download the brochure