BA: How did IntelliCred start and what were the most important factors that drove you to get it started?
SK: IntelliCred actually started off as Infointeg-a business all about information verification with the end results being a stamp of approval. Since a large competitor entered the market, we did not want to compete and went back to the drawing board. We used our findings and foundation to pivot into IntelliCred.
Infointeg came about when we started using the web more and more and found it harder to differentiate between credible and non-credible businesses online.
BA: For people who might not know, could you please explain what IntelliCred does?
SK: IntelliCred is a product that enables businesses to protect their brands on the web against logo abuse. We do this by converting their traditional logo into a secure Trust Seal. It is a B2B business, focusing on businesses with membership or accreditation or partnership programmes which issue their affiliates a badge of approval to show association. For more information, visit www.intellicred.com .
BA: It is very evident that you are a driven, determined person. How did you get this determination and drive?
SK: My parents were entrepreneurs. My father, a terrible one, a complete risk-taker without thinking things through and my mother, organised and the one who would manage the risk, but was too cautious. Businesses came and went and none were successful. I always knew if I would start a business that I did not want to be on either side. After my parents’ divorce, I was forced into independence at a very early age and was determined not to become a statistic of being a drop-out or pregnant teen and wanted to learn and be more since my cultural and religious upbringing did not cater for that. I guess that a combination of these elements must fuel that drive. Else, who knows?
BA: You are a young and leading female entrepreneur. Do you believe that by what you do, you are helping to inspire more young African women to get into this field?
SK: Again I’ll refer to cultural and religious upbringing. In my experience, being educated and being more than a housewife was always something I fought. Why would I not be given the opportunity to study and further my education or go into business like my male cousins? These are some of the aspects of why developing and inspiring women and girls in business and especially technology is one of my biggest passions. There are very few women who are tech entrepreneurs and I hope that, by sharing my experiences and encouraging women and girls, it will in fact make a difference.
BA: Was this career, as an entrepreneur, what you always wanted to do?
SK: I’ve always loved technology, although not exposed to it until post Matric, but have always had an entrepreneurial side to me, probably because my parents made me “earn my keep” by working in most of the businesses there was, whether it was a supermarket or a Pizzeria. I have worked for corporates and find that I want to be and do more, that only entrepreneurship, in my opinion, can offer.
BA: You are a young professional, already making waves, already flapping your wings in South Africa and in the business world. What advice do you have to the youth who feel marginalised and without hope for this continent?
SK: I am humbled by that comment, thank you. Something to note though is that people sometimes mislabel(led) me. I am from a broken home, had to pay my way through university by working multiple jobs and have no trust fund. My motto has always been, “if you want something, go and get it” or “success comes from working hard”. I am, however, an eternal optimist and as much as we have to develop in this country, we have come a long way and the trick is to keep the focus on the positive aspects. Working hard and becoming excellent at what you do will attract people who notice and even people who can then help.
BA: What is your vision for the future of this continent?
SK: My vision is for South Africa to move beyond the colour boundary and focus on things that are important, such as feeding those who have nothing and educating those who have even less. My pet peeve is when I see the large amounts of money government spend on things like private houses and cars for government officials when millions of South Africans are dying of hunger.
My vision is for a government (and its people) who focuses on the big issues, and does something about it.
BA: Fast forward ten years later than today. 22.06.2023. Where is IntelliCred? How have you been able to advance this continent through IntelliCred?
SK: In ten years’ time, I will be 45 years old. By then, the country will be known for advancements in technology for Verification processes, Trust Seal technology and reducing online fraud. Our business would be generating enough revenue to fund multiple Trust Funds to contribute to educating those who are not able to afford it. My business vision has always had two directives:
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BA: You have been highly successful so far. You’ve picked up a South African Breweries Kick Start award and have also been listed as one of the Mail and Guardian’s 100 young people to have lunch with. That’s very impressive. What do these successes mean to you? Is this what gives you the greatest satisfaction or is it something else?
SK: Thank you. Firstly, I’ve worked hard and continuously work hard every day to build a better business and be a better person. To have public acknowledgement is always nice, and it pushes me to do and be more. What truly gives me the greatest satisfaction, at this point, is the “giving back” component of what I am able to do. For the past 5 years, I have run an Annual Toy Drive where I raise toys and baby-gear for various orphanages. Just because I don’t have millions (yet), does not mean I can’t give back. The bits I can do, whether its running a Toy Drive or donating my time to mentorship or sitting on a panel, is the least I can do at this point.
BA: Our theme of the month for the magazine is activism and how, via the change we make, we are activists for a better future, for a brighter Africa. What change do you believe, through IntelliCred, you have made?
SK: IntelliCred is a major disrupter and change agent. It changes the way businesses perceive their value, identifies fraudulent behaviour and has many “good” applications. We see IntelliCred as changing the way the world does business and engages with each other online and will be integral in the way the world sees Africa. Brighter, and less corrupt!
BA: What is the one thing that has kept pushing you the whole time, the one thing that you held on to to keep you going?
SK: Having personal and business goals is critical to maintaining determination and motivation. When I start letting external influences, negative media etc. start getting to me, I shake it off and literally tell myself to focus on the bigger picture, the goal post. Belief in something bigger, a greater cause than just a business, is the main thing that keeps me going every day.
SHANA KAY SPEAKS
Shana Kay is the CEO of IntelliCred, based in South Africa. It is a business that specialises in brand protection and accreditation for businesses. Butterfly Africa had the pleasure of recently speaking with her.
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