Graham Lettner

Country: Zambia
Partner: Mobile Transactions
Placement: Improving the business development capacity of a mobile banking start-up

It has been two years since Graham Lettner moved from his small hometown of Fairview, Alberta to Southern Africa as a EWB volunteer. He has seen the vibrancy of Malawi’s most remote communities and the lush greenery of Zambia’s forests after the rains - yet Graham’s work has remained uniquely linked to his life in rural Alberta.

During his first year in Southern Africa, Graham worked in Malawi in partnership with Agricultural Research for Development in Africa – a not-for-profit organisation that addresses poverty through improved approaches to farming.

“For a small-town Alberta boy, it made a lot of sense to wind up doing work – international though it may be – in an agriculture-based economy such as Malawi.”

As a part of his work with Agricultural Research for Development in Africa, Graham worked with the Masinda Club Cassava Factory, a processing facility for the important cassava root. Cassava is a dietary staple in Africa, is drought resistant, and has an unmatched potential as an income-generating crop for farmers.

Graham’s worked alongside management to develop and implement growth plans to expand the cassava industry in the region. With Graham’s help the Masinda Club Cassava Factory was able to identify innovative business opportunities, increase its profitability, and provide an ongoing source of income to the surrounding farmers in the region.

Never one to shy from a challenge, after a year in Masinda Graham moved to Zambia and accepted a new partnership with Mobile Transactions – an entrepreneur-driven mobile banking start-up. The company provides banking and money transfer services, allowing rural Zambian communities to transfer and receive funds via their mobile phones, helping them access banking services, save time and lower transaction fees.

Mobile Transactions’ services could not be more needed in Zambia. The majority of Zambians do not have access to a bank account to save or transfer money, yet many have access to a mobile phone.

At Mobile Transactions Graham is managing a team of twelve staff whose mandate is to attract more agents – critical to expanding the organisation’s reach and impact. He is working alongside the agents to improve their ability to identify and analyze new business opportunities and monitor their progress over the long-term.

“What really motivates me is the committed sales team – some of them are from rural villages and have an impressive level of commitment to learning,” Graham says. “Some of them even gave up careers to do this, because they believe in Mobile Transactions.”

Graham brings business development, management and problem solving capabilities coupled with an important understanding of life in rural communities to this role. He is now a crucial part of the organisation’s sustainability going forward.

“Mobile Transactions will realize substantial growth this year,” Graham concludes. “I am excited to be a part of that.”