Meet Kenosi, EasyPay Everywhere’s Head of Credit Lending propositions

• Kenosi Rakosa is the a head of credit lending propositions.
• She has led product launches like vouches for financial inclusion.
• Integrity, fairness and honesty are her guiding principles in life.

Meet a trailblazing woman who is passionate about exploring the intersection of traditional finance and cutting-edge technology.

Kenosi Rakosa, the head of credit lending propositions at EasyPay Everywhere, has more than 13 years of experience experience in the financial sector across diverse institutions such as big banks, small banks and fintech companies in South Africa.

The Diepkloof-born financier studied corporate communications and realised her passions lie in product management and development, leading Kenosi to pursue her studies in business management.

At just 34 years old, Kenosi has spearheaded many product launches, including the groundbreaking World Citizen credit card with Standard Bank and products for senior citizens and grant recipients for EasyPay Everywhere.

A passion for financial inclusion

She lets TRUELOVE in on her career journey.

“Most of my career over the past 15 years has been spent in financial services but I had a brief stint working in the courier industry in a marketing role.

“I quickly realised that my passion was in the financial industry, particularly working with products. There is a wide range of product areas and I’ve particularly enjoyed working with personal lending products, transactional products, eWallet, credit cards, payments and business banking transactional accounts.”

Throughout her career, Kenosi has used the opportunities working for big and small banks in South Africa and provifing financial solutions to the greater African market to promote financial inclusion.

She shares what goes into spearheading these groundbreaking products to promote financial inclusion, explaining, “To develop suitable products for senior citizens and grant recipients, we need to develop a deep understanding of what these market segments truly want and need. This market is typically excluded from formal financial products, making it vulnerable to informal lenders or ‘mashonisas’, who charge extremely high interest rates.”

Maintaining resilience

As a Black woman excelling in a male-dominated industry and coming from a disadvantaged background, Kenosi has had to stay motivated, resilient and has held an optimistic view on the world to keep her eye on the prize.

On what she would tell her younger self if she had the chance, Kenosi says, “What I would I tell my younger self is that there is always an opportunity to reinvent yourself in life – don’t let yourself be put into a box by yourself or others.

“Reinvention allows us to free ourselves from preconceptions and truly revel in the journey of life. But, in order to reinvent yourself, you have to have the courage to seize new opportunities, venture down new paths and refuse to allow yourself to be constrained by what the world thinks.”

The mom to a 14-month-old girl is no stranger to the phenomenon of imposter syndrome – where one experiences self-doubt even in areas they excel in. Kenosi consistently tells herself that she posses the skills and abilities and has earned her right to sit at the table.

To conclude, Kenosi shares a few personal values and principles that guide her in her day-to-day life.

“Integrity, fairness and honesty are guiding principles in my life, both in professional and personal contexts. In the financial services industry, money is a constant temptation and I have seen many colleagues being tempted to commit fraud. Losing their jobs and reputations is devastating for themselves and their families but also for our customers.

“I believe if you live by these virtues, you will end up leading a fulfilling life.”

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