223. WeChat Africa CEO Brett Loubser on the Power of the Platform

In this episode As CEO of WeChat Africa, Brett Loubser’s role is to leverage the WeChat platform to the greatest extent […]

In this episode

As CEO of WeChat Africa, Brett Loubser’s role is to leverage the WeChat platform to the greatest extent possible in Africa. However, the market conditions in this continent are completely different from China. A focus on a chat app didn’t make sense for Africa, given the significant competitor products. Instead, Brett and his team focused on ‘the absolute power of the platform.’ In this episode of FinTech Insider, Brett shares great examples of how working with partner companies has proven to be such a great business model.

“Our first major push into showcasing the power and potential of WeChat as a platform was the launch of Cliff Central,” Brett says. “We worked with a very bright young chap by the name of Gareth Cliff, who is one of the biggest media personalities in South Africa. At the time, he was the most popular radio DJ on the biggest free-to-air radio station in the country. He was looking to launch something of his own, and so we launched a digital radio station along with him on our platform. And that worked incredibly well because, not only was there the obvious benefit of partnering up with somebody who had a huge personal brand in South Africa, but also the benefits of showcasing digital radio being delivered on a chat platform was stopping people in their tracks.”

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