Mastercard South Africa - Afrikan Heroes

Mastercard Appoints New Country Manager for South Africa

October 25, 2021

Gabriel Swanepoel, Country Manager for Mastercard in South Africa

Mastercard has appointed Gabriel Swanepoel as the new Country Manager for Mastercard in South Africa. This serves as a promotion from his current role as the VP of Business Integration for Mastercard, Southern Africa. As country manager, Swanepoel is responsible for further driving the company’s strategic vision, innovation and growth agenda, and building on its successful purpose-driven culture in South Africa, according to a statement from Mastercard.

The company says that Swanepoel’s ‘digital-first business acumen and two-decades-long career in the South Africa payments industry will further support Mastercard accelerate the uptake of digital payments and strengthen its multi-rail capabilities in cards, real-time payments, and support for digital currencies.

Since joining Mastercard in 2015, Swanepoel has been responsible for all aspects of innovation and product development from project inception to commercialisation.

He has been instrumental in positioning and executing Mastercard’s digital strategy within Southern Africa, leading the team that has introduced and made QR payments ubiquitous, as well as bringing more than 50 fintechs together to digitise person-to-merchant payments across multiple use cases in South Africa, amongst other achievements.

“Gabriel has been an invaluable member of our leadership team in South Africa for years. His local knowledge and deep experience are substantial assets for our local business. Leading a dynamic team, Gabriel will support Mastercard in doubling down on efforts to build an inclusive and digitalized economy in South Africa, while enabling our customers and partners to better prepare for economic recovery and growth,” said Mark Elliott, Division President at Mastercard, Southern Africa.

Prior to joining Mastercard in 2015, Swanepoel was the New Business and Innovation Manager for Verifone Africa, where he oversaw all new product and business development initiatives in South Africa.

He has also consulted at MTN Mobile Money Holdings, where he was responsible for innovation-related initiatives. His entrepreneurial approach has also brought him success as one of the founders of XLink Communications, a machine-to-machine communications business, which today is one of the leading providers of card terminal and ATM communications services in South Africa.

He takes over from Suzanne Morel, who returns to Mastercard’s New York office after two years of leading the local business in South Africa.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Online Shopping Booms in South Africa Thanks to Covid-19

November 27, 2020

Suzanne Morel, Country Manager, Mastercard, South Africa.

A new report from Mastercard Corporation shows that South Africans are spending 68% more online now than they were prior to the pandemic, showing that essential items have seen highest surge online with the majority (81%) of consumers saying they purchased data, and over half saying they bought clothing (56%) and groceries (54%) online since the pandemic started.

The research points that the times we are living in have also made consumers more generous with nearly a quarter (23%) saying they have donated more to charity than pre-lockdown. Consumers are supporting their favourite local small businesses, with 63% of respondents saying that they are making a conscious effort to shop online at these stores. With fewer opportunities to browse in the stores or on the high-street, social media has emerged as the main platform for finding the most attractive products and offers, with 64% and 41% of respondents saying they had discovered new sellers through Facebook and Instagram respectively.

Price is a key factor for South African shoppers, with 78% saying this is the most important consideration that guides their online purchasing decision. In fact, 75% of typical in-store bargain hunters spend hours searching different sites to find the best deals and nearly half (49%) of self-confessed window shoppers say they regularly create wish lists but don’t always buy. While adapting to the ‘next normal’, people have been changing the way they consume entertainment and learn new skills.

In fact, 68% of South African consumers said they used the time during the pandemic as a positive learning experience. Two thirds (76%) of respondents learnt to bank online, while more than a half learnt to cook through online tutorials (55%), manage their health and get their medicines online (52%) or trained themselves in Do-It-Yourself (51%). Around 39% of respondents enrolled in an online university or educational course, 29% learnt to dance and 28% learnt to do make-up.

“We have all been adjusting to a new way of living and are understandably shopping more online, though it’s not just for essentials like data, clothing and groceries but for virtual experiences ranging from films to cooking classes. What’s more, this trend appears to be here to stay as 71% of respondents say they will continue to shop online post-pandemic,” says Suzanne Morel, Country Manager at Mastercard South Africa.

“Now more than ever people need access to the digital economy and all of us at Mastercard are constantly working to make the online shopping experience more inclusive, simple, seamless and secure for everyone, whether you’re shopping for essentials or experiences.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Mastercard Partners Payment24 to Streamline Payment Solutions

November 14, 2020

Global market card payment leader, Mastercard has entered into a partnership agreement with South Africa’s Payment24 aimed at offering a payment solution that will help fleet management companies streamline payments, create efficiencies and prevent fraud. Payment24’s platform will use Mastercard’s payment technology which is expected to enable drivers to quickly and seamlessly make fuel payments anywhere Mastercard is accepted, without requiring additional approvals at the pump.

Suzanne Morel, Country Manager at Mastercard South Africa.

Commercial fleet management companies will have more control and visibility into driver’s spend, with the option to add purchasing controls to eliminate fraud. For instance, a company could opt to enable the driver to pay digitally for border post charges or for accommodation and meals, removing the need for costly and unsafe cash advances.

The fuel solution is flexible and adaptable to customer needs, with various payment mechanisms available including fleet cards, tokenised tags, e-wallets and vouchers that can be allocated to a driver or a vehicle. Each transaction is protected by Mastercard’s multiple security layers, and fraud and dispute processes.

“The fleet management industry in South Africa is comprised of fleets of every size and description. While a variety of payment programmes have emerged over the last few years, most of these allow drivers to only pay only at selected fuel stations in the country,” says Suzanne Morel, Country Manager at Mastercard South Africa. “Through this collaboration with Payment24, we can solve these pain points and enable seamless and secure payments anywhere Mastercard is accepted, without authorisation delays or troublesome cash. This is especially critical in today’s current environment, where fleet operators are increasingly digitising their businesses to save costs, reduce fraud and improve the visibility of payments.”

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry