“Africa is a great destination for investment,” says Viola Llewellyn, President of Ovamba

Viola Llewellyn is the co-founder and Global Chief Operations Officer of Ovamba Solutions, Inc. (www.Ovamba.com). Ovamba is a premiere “Market Place Funder” FinTech company created to fund African SME businesses (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises).

Ovamba’s technology gives global accredited and institutional investors the opportunity to invest in the fast-growing African private sector. Ms. Llewellyn oversees strategic implementation, global operations, communications, and business development for Ovamba.

Viola L on dunia

DUNIA MAGAZINE SPOTLIGHT: VIOLA LLEWELLYN, OVAMBA

Tell us, what first attracted you to the banking sector?

Well, I was never actually attracted to the banking sector and never expected to be in it. Ovamba is not a bank. Ovamba is a FinTech [Financial Technology] company that has found a way to combine eCommerce, logistics and short-term funding to help African SMEs grow. I have always been interested in Tech and solving problems.

What does your company Ovamba bring differently to the market?

Ovamba brings expertise in designing technology for financial services in Africa.

We bring innovation to address very serious chronic insufficiency in the credit environment in Africa. We bring a revolutionary approach to creating the ecosystem of Africa’s SME space that respects the cultural and traditional nuances that affect how Africans do business and operate with each other.

All of this and more is what Ovamba brings to the table and MFIs [Micro Finance Institutions]/Banks cannot or have not been able to do any of this.

What is your assessment of the Cameroon market? And how has Ovamba positioned itself in it?

The Cameroon Market is the gateway to the CEMAC [Central African Economic and Monetary Community] region and represents great potential. It is the support base for the largest wholesale and retail markets in the surrounding countries who come to Douala for import and export purposes.

Cameroon is a very complicated place to do business. The variety of cultural groups, religions, bilingualism, the growth and strength of female business owners etc. create a unique set of problems and a unique opportunity to test market dynamics that represent the rest of Africa.

How do you think your experiences in the U.K prepared you for doing business in Africa?

I was born and raised in London, U.K. I got to work at legendary tech firms such as IBM, Digital Equipment Corporation etc. who came to prominence at a time when technology was not the province of the lay person. My educational background was also in sciences. But the key things that I learnt were curiosity and creativity; the ability to look at a problem from a variety of angles. There is more than meets the eye with most things and you have to be willing to experiment and fail forward with every attempt.

On a more personal note, what are a few core values that guide you through life?

My parents gave me my core values; my mistakes gave me conviction. My Mum thought it was very important to read and be well versed across a variety of subjects. I truly believe in what my father told me. He said, “Being a woman and being black is an advantage. You will always have to work 3 times as hard as anyone else, which means that your lowest point is someone else’s high point – you can NEVER fail”. My dad also told me that “There is nothing wrong with thinking you are better than other people – as long as you can prove it”.

My mistakes and conviction have led me to believe in “failing forward” and not worrying about changing my mind. There has been an age old issue with women being made to feel “fickle” for changing their minds. I believe in changing my mind as often as circumstances dictate!

What would you say are the greatest misconceptions Cameroonians abroad have about doing business in Cameroon?

I see a tendency for Cameroonian diaspora to miss the opportunity to learn from Cameroonians who are already in the country working. We should collaborate, and not think that because we are abroad we know better by de-facto. That is very wrong thinking.

Cameroonians may sometimes not have enough appreciation of how much preparation it takes to succeed. They also need to understand that the Government is not a great business partner, PEOPLE are the best business partners!

In conclusion, what plans do you (and your business partners) have for Ovamba in the nearest future?

We expect to continue funding African SMEs better and faster than any other financial institution. We also want to be the engine of growth for the continent, train great employees and bring investment to all regions. We want the world to know that Africa is a great destination for investment and we want Africans to access global suppliers via Ovamba’s technology. The future is very bright!

Website: www.ovamba.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Ovamba

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