Leroy Maisela

A South African fintech entrepreneur revolutionizing financial inclusion for rural communities

Leroy Maisela is a visionary entrepreneur from South Africa who has made significant strides in bridging the financial gap between urban and rural populations through his innovative fintech solutions. Born in 1989 in a rural township near Johannesburg, Maisela witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by his community in accessing basic banking services. This inspired him to co-found Izypay in 2015, a digital financial services platform designed to provide affordable and accessible solutions for unbanked populations.

Through Izypay's mobile-based ecosystem, Maisela enabled millions of South Africans to participate in the formal economy by offering microloans, mobile money transfers, and savings products without requiring traditional bank accounts. The company's flagship product, the Izypay Wallet, has been adopted by over 2 million users across 14 provinces, with partnerships extending to major retailers like Pick n Pay and Woolworths.

What sets Maisela apart is his commitment to community-driven innovation. He established the Izypay Social Impact Program, which trains rural entrepreneurs to become 'Financial Ambassadors' who educate their communities about digital financial tools. This initiative has created over 5,000 micro-entrepreneur roles while reducing transaction costs for small businesses by 70%.

In 2020, Maisela launched IzyFarm, an agri-fintech platform providing real-time market data and insurance products to subsistence farmers. By integrating satellite imagery and blockchain technology, the platform helps farmers optimize crop yields while accessing fair pricing information. This innovation has directly benefited over 100,000 farming households in the Eastern Cape region.

His work has been recognized internationally, including being named a 2021 World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and a 2022 Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 honoree. Maisela's approach demonstrates how technology can democratize economic opportunity, proving that financial inclusion isn't just a social good but a viable business model.