Bassim Haidar
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
Owner/Backer
London, GB
Profile Verified by The Marque
Last Updated: 22 Sep 2026
THE MARQUE
In Their Own Right
Biography
Bassim Haidar is a Nigerian-born Lebanese executive and entrepreneur. He has a strong track record of founding and scaling businesses in Africa and the Middle East, and now heads up a multi-sector conglomerate with revenues in excess of $1.6bn. His expertise in driving growth, improving financial inclusion and unlocking economic opportunities in emerging markets has led him to found businesses across technology, telecoms, logistics, energy, engineering and medicinal cannabis. He is the founder of Channel VAS, now Optasia, a leading vendor of mobile financial and fintech services. It improves financial inclusion by offering banking services and smart handset financing for developing markets and currently serves over 650m customers in over 30 countries. A serial entrepreneur, Bassim founded his first company, Intercomm Ltd, when he was just 20 years old. He later founded GMT Nigeria, which he grew to the leading integrated procurement, finance and logistics provider in West Africa. In 2003, recognising the growing need for telecoms infrastructure in Nigeria, he founded Channel IT. At a time when the industry was facing a magnitude of challenges in sourcing, logistics, revenue generation and customer retention, he created the benchmark on how to successfully create and provide essential supplies and services nationwide. The company now operates across 19 countries and plays a major role in connectivity in the Middle East and Africa. He also founded Knuru Capital, a private venture capital firm with interests in technology across the Gulf Region, Africa and Southern Europe, and serves as its Chairman. He founded SafriCanna, a medicinal cannabis company in South Africa. The firm engages in R&D, undertakes clinical trials and exports to several countries worldwide. As an active philanthropist, Bassim has previously worked alongside the World Economic Forum and Africa CEO forum, and is a member of the Global Council of Amnesty International.
The Record
Background
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2011 — Present
Founder and CEO
Optasia
Optasia, formerly Channel VAS, provides a flexible AI platform that enables financial inclusion for all, allows responsible financing decision making, and drives a superior business model and good customer experience.
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1999 — Present
Founder
GMT Nigeria
GMT is a finance, inbound logistics and integrated procurement provider in West Africa.
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2003 — Present
Founder and Chairman
Knuru Capital
Knuru invests in technology companies in the GCC, Africa and Southern Europe, with an emphasis on fintech and marketplace verticals.
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2020 — Present
Co-Founder and Co-Owner
SafriCanna
SafriCanna is a cannabis firm based in South Africa that specialises in the cultivation, processing, and export of therapeutic EU-GMP cannabis products to international markets.
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1999 — Present
Co-Founder
Intercom Telecoms Limited
Intercom Telecoms Limited is a Nigerian IT & Telecommunications company. Its goal is to offer comprehensive information and communication technology services and solutions to help customers build their businesses.
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2003 — Present
Group Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Channel IT
Channel IT, part of the Channel IT Group, is an independent distributor of mobile network infrastructure that has helped mobile operators in several countries, including Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa, Athens, Cairo and Delhi.
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2022 — Present
Owner/Backer
BH Holdings
BH Holdings is a group of companies and brands owned or backed by Bassim Haidar.
In The News
Newsfeed
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27 October 2025 · Bloomberg
AI Fintech Optasia Sells Stake to FirstRand for $277 Million
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25 February 2025 · The South African
B20 South Africa launches with a bold vision for action
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22 October 2024
England Squash launch Optasia Super Squash League
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17 October 2024
Industry leaders join forces with Adopt-a-School Foundation
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16 July 2024
A Service of Thanksgiving in the 30th year of South Africa’s democracy
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8 May 2024 · Engineering News
South Africa appoints new Honorary Consul in the UK to promote trade
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15 March 2024 · Business In The News
E2E Welcomes Global Entrepreneur Bassim Haidar to its Advisory Board
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11 September 2022 · Bloomberg
Europe’s Call for Medical Cannabis Sees South Africa Firm Thrive
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11 September 2022 · Moneyweb
Europe’s Call for Medical Cannabis Sees South Africa Firm Thrive
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11 September 2022 · Engineering News
Europe’s Call for Medical Cannabis Sees South Africa Firm Thrive
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8 September 2022 · The Africa Report
Bassim Haidar bets South Africa can become global medicinal cannabis leader
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6 September 2022 · Bloomberg
UAE Fintech Optasia Steps Up Global Expansion to Target Unbanked
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1 September 2022 · Insider
Five signs that show how Africa can become a leader in the wider world of tech
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18 August 2022 · Family Capital
Family office principal sees medicinal cannabis as key growth trend in Africa
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17 August 2022 · Forbes
Top 25 Fintech Companies 22
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6 July 2022 · Insider
A conversation with billionaire Bassim Haidar about how he built his fortune
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23 February 2022
Channel VAS rebrands to Optasia in global expansion plan
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Areas Of Focus