Founded in Nairobi in 2013, AZA Finance’s mission is to power African trade and accelerate the growth of businesses across the continent. Under Elizabeth’s leadership, the company has served over 1.5 million customers in 180+ countries, transacting $9billion+ in funds.
Over 11 years, Elizabeth has scaled AZA to be a truly pan-African fintech, serving Egypt, Cameroon, Zambia, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Botswana, Nigeria, Tanzania, Guinea, and Morocco - as well Brazil, India, New Zealand, China, Japan, Korea, Canada, the US, EU and UK.
In October 2024, AZA Finance was named a semi-finalist for the prestigious Milken-Motsepe prize. Elizabeth was also named Fintech Leader of the Year by Fintech Awards London and fintech leader of the year by The Fintech Times. She also was named to the first cohort of Bloomberg New Economy Catalysts.
Highlights
Most people on Planet Earth will be African by the turn of the century, so how do we connect Africa to the rest of the world?
I only ever could dream a few - one or two - steps ahead.
I think you just do it, if you want to.
If you want to build something and if you want to do something new, you have to have that voice inside of you.
Go to the data, you know, yes there’s volatility but look at the data that you know this will turn.
I was just sick of working with toxic people.
I think a lot of founders hit the wall, either the problem they’re solving is something that’s really hurt them.
I am reporting from the frontline.
I think it’s like when I bought my first car, my dad was more excited than when I graduated college.
There’s a lot of glorification of the founder story, you know, oh it’s so amazing and then you’re a billionaire.