The Issuer Academy: Innovate. Scale. Impact

Localisation as a Superpower: Building in South Africa’s Payments Market with Bank Zero

Digital banking, fintech innovation, and payments infrastructure are reshaping financial services worldwide. And South Africa is becoming one of the most interesting markets to watch. In this episode of The Issuer Academy podcast, host Merusha Naidu is joined by Lezanne Human, Co-founder at Bank Zero, and Jeff Parker, CEO of Paymentology. Together, they explore how a branchless, zero-fee digital bank is partnering with a global payments infrastructure leader to unlock South Africa’s massive untapped market and redefine alliance banking across emerging markets. What You’ll Learn: * How to challenge legacy banking assumptions by designing every process as digital-first from day one * Why localization is a competitive superpower * The strategic power of embedding compliance into customer experience rather than treating it as friction * How to identify genuine partnership alignment * Why successful digital banks must be intentional about their target segment and value proposition Lezanne Human is Co-founder at Bank Zero, bringing deep expertise in challenging traditional banking models and building digital-first financial institutions. With a background in the banking industry, Lezanne identified critical pain points that legacy banks fail to address and co-founded Bank Zero to solve them through innovative, frictionless digital solutions. Jeff Parker is the CEO of Paymentology, a global payments technology provider operating in 65 countries. His expertise lies in developing configurable payment solutions and fostering strategic partnerships across the fintech ecosystem. Under his leadership, Paymentology has become a key enabler of digital transformation in the payments industry, particularly in emerging markets like Saudi Arabia. EPISODE RESOURCES: * Lezanne Human on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lezannehuman/] * Bank Zero Website [https://www.bankzero.co.za/] * Jeff Parker on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-parker-504a10/] * Merusha Naidu on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/merusha-naidu-92880a49/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=uk] * Paymentology Website [https://www.paymentology.com/] If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and don’t forget to rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify - we appreciate all feedback from our listeners! The Issuer Academy: Innovate. Scale. Impact Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]

How Chikwama Pay Is Building a Borderless Bank on WhatsApp

Cross-border payments remain one of the biggest barriers to financial inclusion across Africa. While people travel, trade, and work across borders every day, their money often doesn’t move as freely. In this episode of The Issuer Academy podcast, host Merusha Naidu is joined by Smangele Khumalo, Chief Operating Officer at Chikwama Pay. Together, they discuss how the company is building a borderless digital bank designed for the way Africans live and trade. What You’ll Learn: * How Chikwama Pay is reimagining financial inclusion * Why WhatsApp is the perfect banking interface * The operational realities of scaling a fintech across multiple African markets * What it takes to build the “Revolut of Africa” Smangele Khumalo is the Chief Operating Officer at Chikwama Pay, a borderless neobank transforming cross-border payments across Africa. With expertise in scaling fintech operations across diverse and highly regulated African markets, Smangele has been instrumental in building partnerships with mobile operators, banks, and regulators to create seamless digital banking solutions. In this episode, she shares how Chikwama Pay is redefining financial inclusion by leveraging WhatsApp and mobile-first technology to enable millions of Africans and businesses to transact safely, affordably, and instantly across borders. EPISODE RESOURCES: * Smangele Khumalo on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/smangele-khumalo-bb58a560/] * Chikwama Pay Website [https://www.chikwamapay.com/] * Merusha Naidu on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/merusha-naidu-92880a49/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=uk] * Paymentology Website [https://www.paymentology.com/] If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and don’t forget to rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify - we appreciate all feedback from our listeners! The Issuer Academy: Innovate. Scale. Impact Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]

Embedded Finance and Earned Wage Access: How Payroll Is Redefining Financial Wellness

Embedded finance is evolving, and payroll-linked lending is at the center of that shift. In this episode of The Issuer Academy podcast, host Merusha Naidu is joined by Dr. Allan Villegas, Co-founder and CEO of Liabify, and Tim Joslyn, CTO of Paymentology. Together, they share insights on how earned wage access, alternative credit scoring, and financial wellness platforms are transforming the way people interact with money across the GCC and other emerging markets. What You’ll Learn: * How to build alternative credit scoring systems using AI and behavioral data to serve underbanked middle-income populations * Why payroll has become the most powerful distribution channel for financial services * The critical difference between embedded transactions and embedded financial intelligence * How to manage complexity in payroll-linked finance by treating employment data as dynamic, exception-filled systems that require real-time verification and decisioning across multiple data sources * The essential framework for scaling localization across emerging markets * Why the future of embedded finance becomes invisible Dr. Allan Villegas is Co-founder and CEO of Liabify, a financial wellness platform revolutionizing embedded finance across emerging markets. With a PhD and extensive background in fintech, Dr. Villegas has built an innovative alternative credit scoring system powered by AI to serve underbanked middle-class populations in the GCC region. His platform seamlessly integrates salary advances, remittances, bill payments, and secured lending into a cohesive ecosystem that prioritizes financial inclusion and human-centered design. Tim Joslyn serves as Chief Technology Officer at Paymentology, where he leads technology strategy for a global payments processing company. His pragmatic approach to AI implementation focuses on productivity gains and practical applications rather than technology for technology's sake. He's known for his hands-on leadership style and emphasis on democratizing AI tools across engineering teams. EPISODE RESOURCES: * Dr. Allan Villegas on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/allanvillegas/] * Tim Joslyn on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/timjoslyn/] * Liabify Website [https://liabify.com/] * Merusha Naidu on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/merusha-naidu-92880a49/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=uk] * Paymentology Website [https://www.paymentology.com/] If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and don’t forget to rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify - we appreciate all feedback from our listeners! The Issuer Academy: Innovate. Scale. Impact Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]

Dignity by Design: How UnDosTres is Expanding Access to Credit Across Latin America

In this episode of The Issuer Academy podcast, host Merusha Naidu is joined by Arpit Gupta, Co-founder at UnDosTres, and Jeff Parker, CEO of Paymentology. Together, they dive into what it really takes to move a cash-first economy into digital-first behavior. What You’ll Learn: * Why cash still dominates in Latin America and what’s finally changing * How instant credit enables access beyond traditional banking * Why trust and reliability matter more than features in cash-first markets * How contextual credit decisions improve everyday financial outcomes * What the next phase of digital credit and commerce will look like Arpit Gupta is the Co-Founder of UnDosTres, one of Mexico's fastest-growing digital payment and credit platforms. With a background in fintech innovation, including early-stage experience building PayTM in India, Arpit has spent the past decade architecting the infrastructure layer that enables instant credit and digital commerce across Latin America. Jeff Parker is the CEO of Paymentology, a global payments technology provider operating in 65 countries. His expertise lies in developing configurable payment solutions and fostering strategic partnerships across the fintech ecosystem. Under his leadership, Paymentology has become a key enabler of digital transformation in the payments industry, particularly in emerging markets like Saudi Arabia. EPISODE RESOURCES: * Arpit Gupta on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/agupta-udt/] * Jeff Parker on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-parker-504a10/] * UnDosTres Website [https://undostres.com.mx/] * Merusha Naidu on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/merusha-naidu-92880a49/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=uk] * Paymentology Website [https://www.paymentology.com/] If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and don’t forget to rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify - we appreciate all feedback from our listeners! The Issuer Academy: Innovate. Scale. Impact Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]

How Stablecoins Are Powering Everyday Payments

In this episode of The Issuer Academy podcast, host Merusha Naidu is joined by Jonathan Chan, Co-founder and Head of Partnership at RedotPay, and Minh Ha Truong, Head of Growth for APAC at Paymentology. Together, they explore why stablecoins are reshaping cross-border payments and how blockchain technology is driving real financial inclusion. What You’ll Learn: * How to dismantle the “crypto is only for speculation” myth * The user journey framework that drives adoption * Why Asia Pacific is the global testing ground for payment innovation * How to embed continuous financial literacy into product development * The collaboration model that accelerates financial inclusion Jonathan Chan is Co-founder and Head of Partnership at RedotPay, spearheading efforts to democratize cryptocurrency payments for everyday use. With expertise in blockchain technology and financial inclusion, Jonathan leads the charge in making crypto accessible to underserved populations across over 100 countries. His vision centers on bridging traditional finance and digital assets through practical, user-centric solutions that empower migrants, overseas students, unbanked families, and small businesses to participate in the global economy. Minh Ha Truong is Head of Growth for APAC at Paymentology, driving the expansion of secure, compliant payment infrastructure across one of the world's most dynamic fintech ecosystems. With deep expertise in issuing and processing technology, tokenization, and multi-cloud resilience, Minh bridges the gap between emerging payment innovations and the regulatory frameworks enabling them. Her leadership addresses critical infrastructure challenges for next-generation fintechs, particularly those pioneering stablecoin and blockchain-based solutions. EPISODE RESOURCES: * Jonathan Chan on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/heresjc/] * Minh Ha Truong on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/minh-ha-truong-34381a3/] * RedotPay Website [https://www.redotpay.com/] * Merusha Naidu on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/merusha-naidu-92880a49/?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Egoogle%2Ecom%2F&originalSubdomain=uk] * Paymentology Website [https://www.paymentology.com/] If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode, and don’t forget to rate and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify - we appreciate all feedback from our listeners! The Issuer Academy: Innovate. Scale. Impact Podcast is handcrafted by our friends over at: fame.so [https://www.fame.so/?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=masters-of-community-with-david-spinks?utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=bcast&utm_campaign=fame-client]