CEO Today Africa Awards

13 www.ceotodaymagazine.com CEO Today Africa Awards 2019 BOTSWANA DUMISANI NDEBELE CEO Letshego FIRM PROFILE Letshego Holdings Limited (“Letshego”) was incorporated in 1998, is headquartered in Gaborone and has been publicly listed on the Botswana Stock Exchange since 2002. Today it is one of Botswana’s largest indigenous groups, with a market capitalisation of approximately USD500mn, placing it in the top 50 listed sub-Sahara African companies (ex-South Africa), with an agenda focused on inclusive finance. Through its eleven country presence across Southern, East and West Africa (Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania and Uganda), its subsidiaries provide simple, appropriate and accessible consumer, microfinance and savings solutions to the financially under-served. Letshego is committed to skills development. The Group employs over 3,250 team members, representing more than 20 nationalities, servicing over 345,000 borrowers and 120,000 depositors through 307 customer access points. The Group’s inclusive finance agenda is focused on providing underserved customers with access to simple, appropriate and accessible financial solutions. These broad based, innovative and competitively priced solutions include loans between US$500 and US$60,000 appropriate to its customers’ every day needs, mainly through the deduction at source model. Letshego diversified its offering in 2012 through the acquisition of Micro Africa Limited in East Africa – providing loans to micro and small entrepreneurs (MSEs), collective groups as well as to low and middle income earners. The MSE portfolio continues to steadily grow - as at December 2016, the total micro finance book stood at US$ 71mn. In addition to Letshego’s deposit-taking activities in Ghana, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda and Tanzania, microfinance banking has been added in Nigeria and Tanzania through the acquisition of banks already operating in MSE sectors. Overall, the Group’s solutions encompass savings, borrowings, payments and micro-insurance. The Group’s brand, now refreshed in eleven of its markets, is trusted across Africa and is known for being responsive to customers’ needs. Letshego is committed to responsible and ethical lending as well as full regulatory compliance in all its countries of operation. Over the last nineteen years, the Group has expanded across Africa from its origins in Botswana. For the year ended December 2016, gross advances reached USD 660mn resulting in an underlying growth of 14% in local currency terms. The Group has continued to grow its market share, and maintains good asset quality (non-performing loans are under 3% of the total loan book). Operating income increased at a 3-year compound annual growth rate of 11%, reflecting the underlying growth in customer advances, as well as continued revenue diversification. ABOUT DUMISANI NDEBELE Presently, Dumisani Ndebele is Group Chief Executive Officer & Director at Letshego Holdings Ltd. and Group Chief Executive Officer for Advans Bank Tanzania Ltd. He is also Member of Information Systems Audit & Control Association, Inc., Member of Institute of Internal Auditors South Africa, Member of The Institute of Directors and Member of The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. Dumisani Ndebele previously occupied the position of Secretary, Head- Governance & Compliance at Letshego Holdings Ltd. Mr. Ndebele received an MBA from the University of Derbyandanundergraduate degree from the University of Zimbabwe. www.letshego.com