In the first quarter of 2022, microlending giant, Letshego Holdings Limited will launch LetsGO, a Digital Academy by which the micro lender intends to build and empower more Africans with world-class digital skills and experience.
The company says setting up such an ‘institution’ resonates directly with the ethos of the organisation’s LetsGONation, a digital transformation strategy.
Introduction of the Academy follows previous digital efforts by Letshego, having digitised its access channels with the launch and improvement of channels such as WhatsApp, USSD and the web over the course of 2020 and this year launching the LetsGO Digital Mall in 10 regional markets.
The company considers this a feat achieved ahead of initially set timelines and attributes it to Agile Enterprise methodologies. The Group’s is structured to achieve broad transformation across multiple functions that include empowerment and upliftment of digital skills for both internal and external stakeholders.
“Letshego’s vision is clear: we wish to be a digitally-led organisation that remains adaptive to the ever-changing environment, ensuring we remain future-fit so we can continue delivering on our promise to improve lives,” says Andrew Okai, Group Chief Executive. “We are not only here to improve the lives of our customers but also those of our own people by upskilling and empowering our employees with world-class digital skills, ensuring the long-term sustainability and growth of our business well into the future.”
The LetsGO Digital Academy will initially consist of a limited intake of 10 interns as the Group fine-tunes the curriculum and internship opportunities that the Academy provides. Qualifying applicants will be required to demonstrate foundational digital expertise and a passion to expand their aptitude into digital financial skills and hands-on regional experience within the swiftly evolving financial sector.
In partnership with Letshego’s well regarded educational institutions and strategic commercial partners, applicants will undergo a thorough selection process in order to secure a place in the Academy. Speaking in a private interview, Enos Banda, Letshego’s Group Chairman, said the launch of the LetsGO Digital Academy is intended to build and empower more Africans with world-class digital skills and experience but also resonates directly with the ethos of Letshego’s LetsGONation.
“We are building a nation for Africans, by Africans,” Banda asserted. “Education and skills are two key levers that brighten the minds and potential of our future talent and will ensure and secure Africa’s future as an innovative, entrepreneurial hub for a multitude of sectors, including fintechs, manufacturing, digital innovation, health, agriculture and entrepreneurship.”
Concluding on the motivation for establishing such an Academy, Banda summarised: “The COVID-19 pandemic has sent extraordinary shock waves, challenges and tragic loss of lives across global economies. From an economic perspective, it has forced us to shift into a different mindset to manage the increasingly unpredictable environments we now live in.
“Resilience, Adaptability and a solid grounding in digital literacy is now no longer a unique asset for individuals but an essential attribute for us to live and thrive in future economies. Letshego is committed to sharing its expertise and opportunities for regional knowledge to expand the horizons of Africans across our footprint. Letshego looks forward to sharing more details around applications and curriculum by the end of February 2022.”
