Celebrating excellence in Pakistan’s digital economy by recognizing top talent, tech innovators, and SMB leaders, in partnership with JazzCash and Faysal Bank
Islamabad, December 9th, 2024 – Payoneer (NASDAQ: PAYO), the global financial technology company dedicated to empowering small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to transact and grow globally, hosted the 4th edition of XBorder Excellence Awards in Lahore on December 5, 2024. Organized in partnership with JazzCash and Faysal Bank, the event brought together over 120 attendees to celebrate the achievements of top-performing growth leaders, SMBs, content creators, and tech innovators shaping Pakistan’s digital economy and making strides in the global market.
“The remarkable achievements of Pakistan’s SMBs, growth leaders, tech innovators, content creators, and freelancers exemplify the transformative potential of our digital economy,” said Mohsin Muzaffar, Country Manager of Payoneer Pakistan. “Through the XBorder Excellence Awards, we recognize these outstanding professionals who are expanding their global footprint. Their success reinforces our commitment to facilitating borderless payments for business growth and advancing the country’s global expansion”
The exclusive gathering brought together the leaders of tomorrow who are driving Pakistan’s export ecosystem, including top talent and decision-makers from the country’s service export SMBs, ecommerce and marketplace sellers, content creators, D2C brands and freelancers.
The event’s knowledge-sharing agenda featured:
● Nagesh Devata, Senior Vice President of Payoneer APAC, delivered the inaugural keynote, celebrating Pakistan’s exceptional export ecosystem while highlighting the nation’s booming IT sector, which reached a record $3.2 billion in FY2023-24, marking a 24% increase from the previous year(Source).
● A dynamic panel discussion, moderated by Payoneer’s Country Manager Mohsin Muzaffar, featured industry leaders sharing strategic insights. JazzCash’s Muhammad Haris Saeed Khan discussed digital financial solutions for cross-border transactions while Danish Mateen highlighted Faysal Bank’s role in empowering Pakistan’s digital talent
● Keynote by Monis Rahman of Rozee.pk emphasized the impact of smartphones and AI in creating new income opportunities. The session explored practical strategies for SMBs to succeed in Pakistan’s evolving digital ecosystem.
The event highlighted key trends in Pakistan’s digital economy, where SMBs, contributing 40% to the nation’s GDP, play a crucial role in driving economic growth and shaping the export ecosystem. As Pakistan continues to grow as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship, Payoneer remains a pivotal enabler, providing seamless cross-border payment solutions that open doors to international markets.
The XBorder Excellence Awards recognized outstanding achievers across categories:
The awards ceremony recognized outstanding achievements in three key categories: Global Commerce Excellence, International Creators, and Global Digital Excellence. The winners included Home of Leather as Global Marketplace Seller of the Year, Nureh Clothing as Emerging Director to Consumer Global Brand, Terafort as International Gaming Studio of the Year, and The Centrum Media as Podcast Trailblazer of the Year. The Freelancer of the Year award was presented to Yasir Shaukat and Aimen Younus. Rankviz was honored as Best Digital Marketing Agency of the Year. The Remittance Received via Faysal Bank award went to Rana Afaq, and Muhammad Qasim was recognized with the Top Remittance Received via Faysal Bank award.
The event concluded with an evening of networking, meaningful discussions, and a shared commitment to strengthening Pakistan’s digital talent on the global stage.
