Wayne Hennessy-Barrett, the founder and CEO of 4G Capital, a capacity building microcredit company headquartered in Mauritius is an interesting man for sure.
His career reads like a script of a blockbuster Hollywood movie superhero. Before he founded 4G Capital, which is currently the fastest growing fintech in Africa and was recently nominated and listed as one of the companies to inspire Africa in 2019 by London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), he was leading a very different lifestyle.
Wayne served in the British Army for 16 years as an infantry officer where at one point he even conducted operations in Afghanistan. After he left the army he decided that the best way to serve humanity was to help empower vulnerable populations economically and he joined a finance company focused on microlending in Kenya. This was his first time in Africa and immediately he felt he had found his true calling.
It was at this time that he also became involved in Cryptocurrency as an an advisory member of Ethereum Foundation. He then bought the microlending company in Kenya and formed the company we now see today, one that is striving to do the right thing by the small businesses it serves and spread it's influence across the African continent.
One of Wayne strongest believes is that the world needs less war and more peace. One sure way of achieving that is by breaking the vicious cycle of poverty by economically empowering vulnerable populations by teaching them 'how to fish rather than giving them fish' just like the good book says. Through this, in his own small way he ensures that these communities by the end of the day have enough to fend for themselves and don't need to resort to fighting for scarce resources.
Business Insider Sub-Saharan Africa (BISSA) sat down for a chat with Wayne to try and get a picture of his life when he is not busy working.
Here is an excerpt of our conversation.
BISSA: What are three words which summarizes who you are?
Wayne: In a hurry. On a mission
BISSA: Do you have a morning ritual?
Wayne: Rise early. Pray, meditate, exercise. Time with the family before prioritizing how useful I can be to the team and the mission.
BISSA: I know you are a huge fan of Game of Thrones so who is your favourite character whom you identify with the most in GOT?
Wayne: Argh! No right answer to this! I guess it’s Jon Snow….I’d rather do the right thing than the easy thing. I’m trying to learn not to upset people in the process.
BISSA: Given a chance to meet three people of your choice across the globe who would you pick and why?
Wayne: Keith Richards – to discover the secret of eternal life, Barack Obama – to shake him by the hand and Elon Musk – to gain more futurist inspiration.
BISSA: If you had a superpower to solve one global problem in the world today, what power would you love to own and to what end would you use it?
Wayne: As stand-in president of the US, I’d love to incentivise all energy companies to transition from hydro-carbons to renewable energy within 3 years. Let’s get the world off oil and gas and save the planet. Unless I’ve misunderstood the word ‘superpower’…as a superhero I’d use hyper-intelligence to create cold-fusion and limitless clean power for all, to the same end.
BISSA: In Africa, what is your dream destination, favorite African food and music that you can’t get enough of?
Wayne: Too tough to call! Torn between my HQ base in Mauritius, with the amazing fusion of food, culture and music, together with scuba-diving, kite surfing etc, and the Masaai Mara in Kenya. I love the freedom and wildness of the bush.
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