There are entrepreneurs and then there are change-makers. Mr. Gaur belongs to the latter category. After gaining over 22 years of experience in the banking and telecom sector, Mr. Gaur saw a huge gap in the digital payments industry in the African market. He decided to not only tap that but also lead the digital transformation of how Africa transacts online.
REALIZING THE OPPORTUNITY
Mr. Gaur completed his graduation from India in Commerce and went on to pursue masters in International Marketing and Finance. He then completed his MSc in Finance from the UK. After that, he started a fulfilling career in the banking &telecom sector. Over the years he led big names of the industry like SADC, I-Tel Group, Sierratel, Surfline, and Busy. In 2016, Ezipay was launched by the parent company Artificial Intelligence Technologies limited.
The basic premise of Ezipay was to have a safe, convenient and cheap way to send money online to other countries at good rates. It has now grown to be a one-stop shop for all kinds of online services from groceries to air ticket booking, anything can be done on the Ezipay app. The app boasts of over 250 merchants and businesses through which the customers can avail themselves a horde of services.
Under Mr. Gaur’s guidance, the brand has risen to become one of the most coveted fintech companies in Africa. The company now offers a host of services under one umbrella like utility payments, fee payments, money transfer, online shopping, OTT platform, and much more. It was Mr. Gaur’s endeavor to solve the common man’s problem and make their life easier.
An astute businessman and a keen problem solver, Mr. Gaur had the foresight to see this kind of opportunity arising in a developing country where the internet was getting available to everyone. Ezipay is operating in many African countries, including Ghana, Togo, Senegal, Niger, Mali, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Benin & Zambia
NOT JUST A BUSINESS
Ezipay is not just a business idea to tap into the growing fintech market. For Mr. Gaur, providing access to financial services to underserved populations is vital in addressing the smart digital financial service. It was Mr. Gaur’s vision to bring the world closer to the African countries. To enable them to stay connected with their families and friends abroad.
A smart digital financial inclusion move that would give access to financial services to all citizens and in turn transform the economy into a cashless digitally empowered society. “Ezipay is committed to making Africa the next powerhouse in digital transformation and financial inclusion for 1.3 billion Africans,” Mr. Gaur shared.
His hard work is starting to pay off. As per the latest data from the Ghana Interbank Payment & Settlement Systems (GhIPSS), digital transactions in Ghana saw a tremendous increase both in volume and value in 2020 compared to 2019. The data showed that the number of transactions rose from 38 million in 2019 to a whopping 77 million transactions in 2020 across all platforms.
The numbers indicate a 103% increase in digital transactions. In a short span of time, Ezipay has become a key player in this bludgeoning market. Under the leadership of Mr. Gaur the organization has become the most preferred online payment app because of its simple user interface and easy transaction method
HARD WORK PAYS OFF
The sheer hard work and diligence of Mr. Gaur and his team have also been recognized by the industry. At the recently held Ghana Business Standard Awards, Ezipay was named the ‘Most Outstanding Fintech Company’ for the year 2020. At the same ceremony, Mr. Gaur was awarded the best CEO of the year and also became the ‘Most Outstanding Business Leader’.
The same year, at the Customer Choice Awards 2020, Ezipay won the ‘Most Outstanding Fintech App of the Year. “It is overwhelming for Ezipay to triumph in such an endowed and competitive category,” Mr. Gaur shared while accepting the Customer Choice Award.
Ezipay’s easy platform came in especially handy at the time of this unfortunate pandemic. A time when people could not reach out to their families and friends and were stuck at home, it was a boon for thousands of people wanting to send money to their families outside of Africa.
Mr. Gaur ensured the Ezipay became a quick and safe way for money transfer with low-cost remittance for people to transfer money to their families outside of Africa. Over time, under Mr. Gaur’s vision more and more services were added all of those helped the people of African countries sail through the routine chores with utmost ease and comfort.
During the Covid-19 outbreak when all over the world online transactions saw a huge jump, people in Africa also embraced the new way of shopping, ordering groceries, money transfers, and utility bills thanks to Mr. Gaur’s revolutionary service.
Under all his efforts and ideas lies Mr. Gaur’s passion to make Africa a cashless economy and lead the digital transformation in the continent. He leads the team with a strong foundation of passion, integrity, and determination.
Mr. Gaur had the courage to tap into the right opportunity at the right time, but it’s not luck or the timing that has helped him reach these milestones. It is his undeterred zeal and drive to stay focused on his goals that make him a leader par excellence.
There is still a long way to go for the online payment market in Africa. There are various reasons which are holding the industry back like masses not being able to transition from offline to online payments, trust deficit, and aversion to change.
It is more of an awareness project than just doing business. It is up to leaders like Mr. Gaur to lead that mindset change and make people embrace new technologies which will put Africa ahead in the global scenario.
Mr. Gaur’s story is not only inspirational but in times to come his name will be among leaders who led the digital payments movement all across West African countries and beyond. It is the mark of a true leader to not only change his destiny but also transform the lives of other people along the way.
