How Innovation changes lives

Brian Richardson

Educated at Wits University with a B Com and an MBA.

Currently a Founding Director and CEO of WIZZIT International, a global pioneer in mobile banking and financial inclusion.

WIZZIT was launched in South Africa in November 2004 and in providing affordable banking to the mass market was the first to launch as part of its offering, cell phone banking that works across all the networks and all phones and SIM cards. WIZZIT solves not only an accessibility and affordability issue but from a convenience point of view offers 24/7 real time transactions and hence is “Your Bank in Your Pocket.”WIZZIT has taken its technology and branchless banking model to emerging markets in Africa, Central America and Eastern Europe.

Brian is listed in Who’s Who of South African Business as well as the International Biography of Distinguished Leaders. He is an Ashoka Fellow –a global network of social entrepreneurs.

He has lectured and presented at seminars and conferences throughout the world:

  • was invitedby the Clinton Global Initiative to present the WIZZIT model as a means to “Bank a Billion”;
  • he has presented at SIBOS in Osaka Japan
  • presented at SIBOS Africa –Hosted in Botswanaat the G20 Financial Inclusion Summit in Mexico;
  • at the Alliance for Financial Inclusion (AFI)
  • at the Banking Associations of Venezuela, Peru, Brazil, Honduras, South Africa, Botswana;
  • has been the invited guest speaker at the Central Banks of Nigeria, India and South Africa;
  • he has presented at FATF and was invited to be part of the subcommittees on financial inclusion and regulation.
  • He has also been invited to present at Harvard Business School on several occasions
  • and is a key note speaker at many leading global conferences.

WIZZIT has launched its mobile banking technology and model in 9 countries across three continents with other countries in the process of being finalised.There are well over 6 million customers on the WIZZIT International Platform processing millions of transactions.

Brian is married to an equally entrepreneurial wife and has 2 daughters and twin boys

Watch Brian’s presentation titled: ‘How Innovation changes lives’