12 March 2013

Clickatell Bolsters Executive Team in Africa Operations and Names Mervyn Goliath as Executive Vice President of Engineering and Operations

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Mervyn Goliath joins Clickatell's executive team

Cape Town, South Africa - March 12, 2013 - Clickatell, a global leader in mobile messaging and transactional services, today announced that Mervyn Goliath has joined its executive team as part of its ongoing commitment to deliver Enterprise-grade mobile enablement in Sub-Saharan Africa and internationally. Clickatell, the international pioneer for Business-2-Consumer messaging, today serves more than 65% of the top banks, insurance companies and retailers in South Africa as well as an impressive and diverse set of international clients.

Recent expansion plans into West and East Africa, as well as the launch of Mobile Transactional services and smartphone applications, are just some of the signs that the management team continues to have big plans for the business as an integral player where mobile, internet and the consumer come together. Goliath has over 25 years of experience in the telecommunications, mobile banking, payment and transaction services industries and has held and excelled in executive roles at leading outfits, including ABSA (part of Barclays), MWEB (part of MIH) and Telkom.

Most recently, he was the Chief Operating Officer of Digital Banking Services for ABSA, one of the largest financial services providers on the African continent, where his primary responsibility focused on transforming the bank's digital channels. Before ABSA, Goliath served as CTO and General Manager of Technology and Operations at MWEB and as Group Head in National Telematics and Data Services at Telkom. "Goliath's experience at ABSA, MWEB, and Telkom, as well as his leadership and expertise, will be invaluable as we advance Clickatell's enterprise mobile-enablement strategy in our Pan-Africa plans," said Pieter de Villiers, Clickatell CEO. "Mervyn is a respected industry veteran and a seasoned executive with an impressive track record. We are proud to have him join our team." Goliath is joining a Clickatell executive team that is already fully engaged and immersed in the mobile financial services space in Africa, the region that is leading the charge in mobile transactions and payments.

Africa is the fastest-growing mobile financial services market because of the technology's ubiquity, cost-effectiveness and the unmet demand for financial services. "I am extremely excited about the challenge and opportunity of working with Clickatell's team of engineering and financial services experts to grow its enterprise business in Sub-Saharan Africa," said Goliath. "Clickatell's deep enterprise and financial services experience in Africa positions us well to continue to be a technology innovator in this region. We have seen just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the potential of mobile financial services in Africa and I am thrilled at the prospect of joining Clickatell at this time."

About Clickatell, Inc. Clickatell is a global leader in mobile messaging and transaction services, which enable its customers to alert, interact and transact with their business partners and communities on the mobile phone. Clickatell's global footprint means that it can deliver short message services (SMS) through its next-generation Clickatell Mobile eXchange (CMneXt) to over 800 mobile networks in over 200 countries and territories, with the potential to reach 6 billion mobile phone users - more than 80 percent of the world's population. In addition, with Clickatell Transaction eXchange (CTX), it provides the essential link between mobile consumers and their financial institutions, with services like airtime top-up. More than 15,000 enterprise, government, medium and, small business customers and application developers have embraced Clickatell's technology solutions. Founded in 2000, Clickatell is headquartered in Redwood City, Calif. 

 

About Clickatell

We create a better world through technology, making commerce in chat accessible for everyone, everywhere. Consumers can now connect with brands to find goods and services, make purchases, track orders, and resolve issues with a simple text or chat. No need for cash, phone calls, in-person interactions, or apps. Founded in 2000 with now over 10,000 customers, Clickatell is powering the digital commerce transformation. Clickatell is headquartered in Silicon Valley, CA and has offices in Canada, South Africa, and Nigeria (www.clickatell.com).

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