Democratizing Financial Access for Greater Innovation: Steve Biko, Co-Founder, CEO: Zanifu

The Beyond Capital Podcast

Steve Biko has led an interesting life. From his childhood in Kenya to moving to the U.S. when he was 16, studying aviation, becoming a licensed pilot, and moving back to Africa to help launch M-PESA, a pioneering collaboration of telecommunication and banking sectors in East Africa, Steve has always been ahead of the curve.

Today, Steve is the Co-Founder and CEO of Zanifu, a financial platform for MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises) that struggle to access financing due to limited collateral, their size, and the absence of formal credit history. During our conversation, Steve offers insights into how Zanifu is uniquely solving for filling this critical financial gap. Tune in and get inspired!

• How Steve’s career began in aviation before moving back to his native Kenya and stumbling into entrepreneurship via M-PESA, a pioneering mobile money tech startup (3:07)
• How the African government played a major role in the launch of M-PESA, which changed how many Africans accessed banking and technology (6:51)
• How Steve’s company Zanifu is solving the traditional lack of access to credit for small businesses and allowing them to grow sustainably (12:11)
• The unique parameters Zanifu has in place to lower the risk of offering loans to MSMEs that traditional banks overlook (14:32)
• Why reading tech news makes him anxious and what he does instead to stay focused (28:16)
• His no-nonsense advice to anyone looking to start their own business (28:56)
• Steve’s leadership style and why trust is essential to a team’s success (29:48)
• The lasting mark he hopes Zanifu leaves on the world (30:25)