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Our Firm

Melakah
International

An Ivorian firm of excellence born from 18 years of field expertise in payments, business development and marketing — serving companies across Cote d'Ivoire and the WAEMU.

18+
Years of field expertise
12
Countries of direct experience
8
Payment projects led
2
Digital media operated
Our Identity

A firm born from experience, not theory

Melakah International is an Ivorian firm specialized in business development, project structuring, market opening, payments, distribution, digital, media and strategic events.

Based in Abidjan Cocody, Melakah International draws on nearly two decades of direct operational experience in payments and business development in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and across the WAEMU — a rare expertise, built on the ground, project after project.

Our strength: we have personally deployed prepaid cards, negotiated with banks, recruited distribution networks and run call centers. We know what works, because we've done it.

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Strategic meeting Melakah International Abidjan
The Founder

Joël Arnaud Kouadio

Business Developer, payments expert and trained in international marketing — the journey that gave rise to Melakah International.

Joel Arnaud Kouadio — Founder and CEO of Melakah International
Kouadio Djeket Joël Arnaud
Founder & CEO

Holder of a Graduate Diploma in Marketing, Publicity and Public Relations from the Institute of Commerce and Management of Bournemouth (ICM, England), Joel Arnaud Kouadio has been building since 2007 a career fully focused on payments, business development and customer relations across West Africa.

His career took him from Cote d'Ivoire's postal agencies to leading the Abidjan.net prepaid Visa card with NSIA Banque, through structuring payment acceptance networks for Green Pay and commercial management at Promonova (Ubipharm group). It is this accumulation of concrete experience — earned on the ground, in Cote d'Ivoire as in Ghana — that gave rise to Melakah International.

"A graduate of the International School of Commerce and Management of Bournemouth and backed by solid experience in payments, customer management and marketing, I now put these skills at the service of growing your projects."
🎓 ICM Bournemouth, UK 💳 Payments Expert 📈 Business Development 🌍 CI · Ghana · WAEMU 🗣️ Bilingual FR / EN
Career Path

An expertise built project after project

From the Ghana Commercial Bank to commercial leadership at major groups, a field career that now informs every Melakah International engagement.

2023 — 2025
Business Development Manager
Promonova — Ubipharm Group
Prospecting and client acquisition, key account retention, budget management and Call Center team supervision. Design of commercial campaigns and competitive intelligence.
2020 — Present
Business Development Manager, Deputy Commercial Director
Green Pay
Head of sales and management of the commercial team. Recruitment and activation of the payment acceptance network, deployment of Pax POS terminals in Cote d'Ivoire, management of strategic partners.
2020
Web Writer & Communication Advisor
Melakah International SARL
The firm's first foundations: marketing strategy, artistic promotion, event organization and design of payment projects in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.
2019 — 2020
Payments & Communication Consultant
Seneve SARL
Program Manager for Yango Ghana in partnership with Weblogy Offshore. Design of payment projects in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana, communication consulting and website design.
2015 — 2018
Program Manager — Abidjan.net Prepaid Visa Card
Weblogy Offshore
Led the creation of the Abidjan.net prepaid Visa card with NSIA Banque. Developed the external distribution network, set up dedicated branches and a call center recognized as the group's best service.
2011 — 2015
Project & Training Manager, Assistant to CEO
Serfin SARL
Installation of GIM-WAEMU Thales POS terminals in Cote d'Ivoire. Deployment of distribution networks for the BH FREE card (BHCI), the CAHXPRESS Visa card (Ecobank) and the AFRICARDS card (UBA Burkina) in Cote d'Ivoire and Senegal.
2008 — 2011
Customer Advisor & R&D Manager
Africards SA & Serfin SARL
Sale, activation and top-up of prepaid cards. Set up a customer database and a loyalty system. Research and negotiation of payment partnerships.
2006 — 2008
ICM Bournemouth Diploma & First Experiences
Port Autonome d'Abidjan · GCB Ghana
Graduate Diploma in Marketing, Publicity and Public Relations obtained at the Institute of Commerce and Management of Bournemouth (England). Internships in commercial management at the Port Autonome d'Abidjan and the Ghana Commercial Bank.
Areas of Expertise

A multi-sector expertise, passed directly on to our clients

📊 Business Development 💳 Payments 📣 Marketing Management 🤝 Public Relations 📢 Advertising 💻 IT 🌐 English-French Translation 🎓 Training 📋 Project Management 🧭 Team Coaching
🎓
ICM
Bournemouth, England
Marketing & Communication
🌍
FR / EN
Professional bilingual
Excellent level in both languages
💼
9
Organizations & projects led
since 2007
Why Melakah?

What sets Melakah International apart

Our difference doesn't come from a pitch, but from lived experience at every step of the payments and commercial chain.

🔭

Strategic Vision

Deep analysis of your context and an actionable roadmap toward your goals.

🕸️

Relationship Network

Privileged access to banking decision-makers, institutions and key players in Cote d'Ivoire & the WAEMU, built over 18 years in the field.

🗺️

Field Knowledge

Lived expertise, from the Port Autonome d'Abidjan to payment distribution networks in Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana.

🚀

Results-Oriented

Commitment to concrete goals: markets opened, sales generated, partnerships signed.

🏛️

Multi-Sector

Finance, distribution, media, digital, events — a cross-functional approach forged in business, not theory.

🔄

Connecting Stakeholders

We identify the right partners and create the lasting conditions for collaboration.

🛡️

End-to-End Support

From strategy to execution, present at every stage of your development — as we did for our previous employers.

💡

Coaching & Training

A genuine ability to train and lead your teams, backed by certified training in team coaching and project management.

Our Method

A proven 5-step process

Every engagement follows a structured methodology to guarantee concrete, measurable results.

1
Diagnosis
Analysis of your market, strengths, opportunities and barriers to growth.
2
Strategy
Tailor-made action plan aligned with your growth goals.
3
Structuring
Setting up the necessary structures, partnerships and tools.
4
Deployment
Rigorous, coordinated field execution.
5
Follow-up & Performance
Results monitoring and regular reporting.

Ready to grow your business with Melakah International?

Contact us for an initial confidential conversation and benefit directly from 18 years of field expertise in payments and business development.

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