Wilson Mahole
Dar es salaam, Tanzania
Summary
Experienced Payment Systems Specialist with a proven track record of designing, integrating, and managing innovative payment solutions across mobile money, bank transfers, card payments, ATMs, and Kiosks. Skilled in delivering secure, scalable, and reliable systems that drive business growth and enhance customer experiences. Led cross-functional teams to deliver end-to-end payment solutions, ensuring seamless integration and compliance with industry standards. Collaborated with global stakeholders to align on payment strategies with business goals, expanding market reach and improving transaction success rates. Expert in payment system architecture, with a deep understanding of PCI DSS compliance, ISO 8583, and ISO 20022 message formats. Passionate about building high-performing teams, fostering collaboration, and driving execution in fast-paced, dynamic environments.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Technical Lead - Payment Methods Team
Cellulant
Dar es salaam
03.2023 - Current
- Led technical strategy and implementation of consumer-facing card payment technologies, delivering secure, seamless payment experiences across 20+ regions and increasing transaction success rates by 15%
- Led the team in designing and rolled out Card Processor V2.1, leveraging microservices to improve performance by 40% and enabling successful deployment across 10+ markets
- Ensured PCI DSS compliance and implemented OWASP security standards, reducing vulnerabilities by 25% and maintaining 100% audit adherence
- Championed Agile/SCRUM practices across the team, improving sprint efficiency, enhancing collaboration, and ensuring timely delivery of high-quality software solutions
- Collaborated with global and regional teams to align payment projects with the global roadmap, delivering 5+ high-impact initiatives on time and within scope
- Acted as the primary escalation point for payment solutions, resolving critical issues to ensure 99.9% system uptime and customer satisfaction
- Integrated Fraud.net for real-time transaction monitoring, reducing fraudulent transactions by 20% and enhancing system security
- Streamlined back-office operations by automating refund and chargeback processes, cutting processing time by 50% and improving operational efficiency
System and Application Developer
Maxcom Africa
Dar es salaam
11.2015 - 04.2026
- Translated business requirements into technical designs and maintained detailed technical specifications for system and application development
- Developed and executed SQL test scripts/plans, ensuring data accuracy and system reliability
- Coordinated and managed software releases, ensuring seamless integrations and successful deployments
- Troubleshooting system issues and automated manual processes, improving efficiency by 25%
- Provided training and support to end-users on system components and applications, enhancing user adoption and satisfaction
- Maintained logs for core system failures, enabling quick identification and resolution of issues to minimize downtime
Senior Software Engineer
Cellulant
Dar es salaam
10.2021 - 03.2023
- Developed and deployed direct-card-api v1.1 using Java, Spring Boot, MySQL, Redis, and RabbitMQ, reducing merchant integration time by 25%
- Delivered card payment solutions across 10+ African markets by integrating MPGS, enabling multi-currency transactions and expanding market reach by 20%
- Developed and launched CDE Card Collection UI, enhancing checkout experience and reducing cart abandonment rates by 10%
- Automated refund and chargeback mechanisms, cutting processing time by 50% and improving operational efficiency
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver localized payment solutions in Nigeria, Egypt, Morocco, and South Africa by integrating proprietary gateways like Interswitch, Fawry, CMI, and Peach Pay, increasing payment acceptance rates by 18%
- Integrated SIFT for real-time transaction monitoring, reducing fraudulent transactions by 20% and enhancing system security
- Supported architectural design of CDE v2.0, leveraging microservices to improve system performance by 40%
- Led integration of Cybersource via reseller model, enabling payment solutions in Kenya, Zambia, Botswana, Tanzania, and Cameroon
- Streamlined back-office operations by integrating Refund, Reversal, and Chargeback functionalities, reducing manual effort by 30%
Implementation Engineer
Celulant
Dar es salaam
09.2019 - 10.2021
- Integrated with Tigo Tanzania for USSD Push and C2B, enabling seamless payment options and instructional experiences, expanding payment solutions in Tanzania
- Onboarded AirtelTigo Ghana into the Cellulant ecosystem, providing Mobile Money payment options and increasing market coverage
- Successfully integrated TTCL Airtime services, enhancing Cellulant’s product portfolio and offering new revenue streams
- Resolved production issues in alignment with SLAs, ensuring 99.9% system uptime and maintaining customer satisfaction
- Developed and implemented USSD instructional systems for Tingg Travel and Mwananchi Communications Ltd in Tanzania, improving user experience and adoption rates
- Automated B2C reconciliation reports for M-Pesa and Tigo Pesa in Tanzania, reducing manual effort by 40% and improving reporting accuracy
- Integrated MTN and Airtel Zambia into mobile money services, expanding payment options and driving transaction growth
Software Engineer - Banking Applications
Maxcom Africa
Dar es salaam
03.2017 - 08.2019
- Managed implementation, configurations, and maintenance of Maxcom’s Agency Banking platform, ensuring 99.9% uptime and seamless functionality
- Integrated NMB’s EFT switch for Agency Banking, enabling cash withdrawals, deposits, and bill payments via Maxcom’s PoS systems
- Implemented Agency Banking modules for Letshego Bank, DCB, BancABC, and MCB, supporting cash withdrawals, deposits, balance inquiries, fund transfers, and bill payments
- Developed payment settlement solutions for DART (Dar es Salaam Rapid Transit), enabling seamless payment processing and settlement to merchant accounts
- Integrated Stanbic Bank’s Host-to-Host Payment Platform (ISO 20022) to provide RTGS capabilities for Tanzanian merchants
- Configured and integrated Hyosung ATMs with the EFT switch, ensuring smooth ATM operations and transaction processing
- Implemented utility payment integrations on PoS and mobile banking apps, partnering with NMB and CRDB to enhance customer convenience
- Contributed to the mVISA project, enabling digital payment solutions and expanding financial inclusion
- Expert in ISO 8583 and ISO 20022 message formats, ensuring compliance and seamless integration with banking and payment systems
- Worked with the NARADA EFT Payment Switch to process debit card, prepaid card, and ATM transactions, ensuring compliance with industry standards
System Administrator
Maxcom Africa
Dar es salaam
04.2016 - 03.2017
- Improved customer satisfaction by 20% by reducing ticket resolution times and overhauling the helpdesk system
- Developed automation scripts for network administration tasks and application deployments, reducing manual effort by 30%
- Created database queries and reports, and conducted training sessions on system resource administration and disaster recovery, improving team efficiency
- Collaborated with network engineering and database teams to ensure 99.9% availability, reliability, and scalability of corporate servers
- Led Point-of-Sale (PoS) application upgrades and deployments, ensuring seamless transitions and minimal downtime
- Provided L2 support for end-users, resolving complex technical issues and maintaining high user satisfaction
Education
Bsc - Software Engineering
The University Of Dodoma
/2011 - /2015
A-Levels - ACSEE Certificate
Minaki High School
/2008 - /2011
O-Levels - CSEE Certificate
Kaloleni Secondary School
/2005 - /2008
Skills
- Programming Languages:
- Java, Python, PHP, HTML, CSS, JavaScript
- Frameworks: Spring, Spring Boot, Laravel, Angular
- Version Control: Git, GitHub, GitLab
- CI/CD Tools: GitLab CI/CD
- Cloud Platforms: AWS, Amazon EKS
- Containerization & Orchestration: Docker, Kubernetes
- Database Management: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis
- Message Queues: RabbitMQ
- Monitoring & Logging: Datadog, ELK Stack, New Relic
- Security & Compliance: PCI DSS, OWASP ZAP, 3D Secure
- API Development & Testing: Postman, Swagger
- Agile & Project Management: SCRUM, ClickUp
- Fraud Detection: Sift, Fraudnet
- Payment Models: PSP, PF, Aggregator, TSP, TPSP
Certification
- NARADA [EFT SWITCH]: PREPAID SOLUTION
Yalamanchili: 05th – 10th December 2016
- NARADA [EFT SWITCH]: CUSTOMER ONE SOLUTION
Yalamanchili: 12th – 16th December 2016
- NARADA [EFT SWITCH]: CHANNEL MANAGEMENT SOLUTION
Yalamanchili: 12th – 16th December 2016
Timeline
Technical Lead - Payment Methods Team
Cellulant
03.2023 - Current
Senior Software Engineer
Cellulant
10.2021 - 03.2023
Implementation Engineer
Celulant
09.2019 - 10.2021
Software Engineer - Banking Applications
Maxcom Africa
03.2017 - 08.2019
System Administrator
Maxcom Africa
04.2016 - 03.2017
System and Application Developer
Maxcom Africa
11.2015 - 04.2026
Bsc - Software Engineering
The University Of Dodoma
/2011 - /2015
A-Levels - ACSEE Certificate
Minaki High School
/2008 - /2011
O-Levels - CSEE Certificate
Kaloleni Secondary School
/2005 - /2008
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