Full Name: Deon Verster

Position and Company Name: Country manager at PayJoy South Africa

Main Activity of the Company: PayJoy is a financial technology that helps make smartphones accessible through flexible payment options

Date and Place of Birth: April 3, 1981, Evander, Mpumalanga

Schools and Tertiary Qualifications: I completed my final year of schooling in 1999 through homeschooling. After that, I completed several diplomas and other qualifications in areas relevant to finance and strategic management

First Job: Loan consultant

Career Path to Date: My career in financial services spans more than 26 years. I started working during school holidays and weekends in a cash loan business at the age of 17. This early experience ignited my passion for the financial sector, especially in Africa. I have held various senior positions in microfinance, micro-insurance, and fintech companies. Notably, I spent ten years in Zambia, progressing from credit manager to country director. In 2016, I founded Smartpeople, a microfinance company specialising in short-term emergency loans and medium-term payroll-based loans across South Africa, Zambia and Uganda. After successfully selling my company in 2019, I joined PayJoy, an organisation that empowers customers in emerging markets to access smartphones through an innovative rental model, helping them unlock the full benefits and opportunities that smartphone technology brings

Number of People under Your Leadership: More than 1 200 employees, including our field teams

Management Style: Entrepreneurial, bold and focused on challenging the status quo. I empower my team to take initiative and achieve their goals without micromanagement. My approach is centred on fostering a collaborative and supportive culture

Personal Best Achievement: Previously in my career, I have successfully expanded a group’s operations from four to 12 African countries in just three years, managed successful startups to profitability, and transformed distressed companies into profitable entities. I am particularly proud of leading the team at PayJoy with a positive mindset to create our own direct-to-consumer distribution channel in South Africa, alongside our partner channels

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Life: My father – he taught us to always remain humble and to treat everyone with equal respect. His profound love for his family and for others was truly inspiring

Person Who Has Had the Biggest Influence on Your Career: There are quite a number of people, but one individual made the biggest impact on me – he taught me the importance of being assertive in pursuing my goals and never settling for the status quo

Person You Would Most Like to Meet: Co-founder and former executive chairperson of Alibaba Group Jack Ma

Businessperson Who Has Impressed You Most: Jack Ma – his vision, resilience and ability to inspire others transformed Alibaba into a powerhouse, and his entrepreneurial skills, innovation and willingness to take risks are truly inspirational

Philosophy of Life: Family First. You must do things you think you cannot do. It’s not about how many times you fall; it’s how many times you get back up

Hope for the Future: That I continue to impact lives by contributing to and enabling financial inclusion for the underserved. Providing access to smartphones is a crucial first step in this endeavour

Favourite Food/ Drink: I enjoy a braai with family and friends, paired with good whiskey

Favourite Music: Pop, rock, country – anything, depending on the mood

Favourite Sport: Cricket. I used to play up to my early 20s, and I believe I was a good all-rounder

Hobbies: Does having a braai with family and friends count as a hobby?

Pets: Two Basset Hounds and one Labrador