Funsho Arogundade

Verve looks to the future of African business with new campaign, ‘Truly African’

To celebrate African ingenuity, entrepreneurism and business success across the continent, Verve International, the leading homegrown pan-African payment card brand, recently launched a campaign tagged Verve, Truly African.

The campaign, which kicked-off at an unveiling event at the Protea Hotel, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria, will over the next three months celebrate everything that makes Africa great, and also give Africans the opportunity to showcase to the world their unique talent, skills and ideas.

•L-R Brand Manager, Consumer Segments, Boma Tai-Osagbemi; Consumer Segments Marketing Manager, Interswitch, Enyioma Anaba and Country Manager, Verve – Nigeria, Oremeyi Akah during the Verve Truly African Campaign launch.

Speaking on the campaign, Charles Ifedi, the Chief Executive Officer of Verve International said it is a new platform to celebrate Africa’s heritage and promote homegrown entrepreneurs and businesses. “We believe that a brighter future for Africa will be built by the ingenuity and resourcefulness of Africans themselves. More and more African entrepreneurs and homegrown businesses are showing the world that they have the skills, creativity, and determination to take on some of the biggest international businesses. Through this campaign we will be giving Africans everywhere the opportunity to showcase their unique talent,” Ifedi said.

Verve’s vision, according to Ifedi, is to create a totally interconnected continent where all Africans can feel the benefit and take advantage of rapid economic expansion and increasing prosperity. “We will do this by providing world-class e-payment products and services that work seamlessly across borders, relentlessly pursuing a truly pan-African offering,” the Verve International CEO boasts.

•Albert Essien

In her own contribution, Cherry Eromosele, Chief Marketing Officer, Interswitch, an integrated payment and transaction processing company, said Verve has created a brand that represents the values and aspirations of Africans everywhere, and this is the essence of the new campaign which is to capture and celebrate the unique attributes of Africans. “We are thrilled to unveil our new ‘Truly African’ campaign to celebrate everything that makes Africa a vibrant and exciting place to be right now. Africans are using their heritage and identity to build businesses that are truly African in their outlook and provide services highly tailored to African consumers,” she explained.

Already, Verve has scheduled series of activations to push the campaign and these include Verve sponsorship of the 2015 African Magic Viewers Choice Awards, AMVCA, the launch of a new TV commercial, and a social media campaign that asks Africans to tell the world about their aspirations and what it means to be African today. “As a proudly African brand, Verve is passionate about celebrating and promoting African talent and success in all its forms, particularly to an international audience,” said Eromosele, on the reason behind their sponsorship of AMVCA. Verve sponsored the ‘Best Supporting Actor’ category of the 2015 AMVCA.

•Bez

Also, young, talented Nigerians including international model, Oluchi Orlandi; movie star Alexx Ekubo; and music star Bez, have been engaged as brand ambassadors for the Truly African campaign. 

•Oluchi

Eromosele pointed out that as the homegrown payment card that supports millions of direct and indirect jobs across the continent, every transaction made with a Verve card is an investment in Africa’s future.

The company has pioneered the expansion of modern financial services into both rural and urban areas, connecting hundreds of millions of African consumers to retailers across Africa and around the world through modern e-payment platforms. It has also sustained investments towards rolling-out its services across the continent and building capacity which has driven the adoption of e-payment services to help African countries develop modern and thriving economies. “In doing so, we are helping all Africans to feel the benefit of strong growth,” Ifedi said.

The verve card is the leading payment card brand in Nigeria, with over 14 million cards in active use. And part of Verve International’s offer is a pan-African chip plus PIN payment. Founded six years ago and using a system designed, built and maintained by Africans, the company offers African consumers products tailored to their needs.