Conversation with Marwan El Shayeb – MasterMinds

Today on MasterMinds, we meet a fintech and mobility entrepreneur who is redefining how technology can simplify life on the road. Marwan El Shayeb, Founder and CEO of Tafweela, has built a career that bridges two worlds — the fast-paced innovation of technology startups and the operational discipline of large-scale mobility and digital platforms.

Marwan has held senior leadership roles across some of the region’s most prominent tech companies, including leading Business Development and Government Relations at Swvl, serving as Commercial Director at Halan, and working as Business Development Manager at Careem. Before that, he founded multiple marketing, advertising, and branding companies in Alexandria, shaping his early entrepreneurial mindset and hands-on leadership style.

Through Tafweela, Marwan is building an end-to-end vehicle management ecosystem designed to remove daily friction from mobility. The platform serves two core segments: enterprises, by offering a one-stop e-payment and fleet management ecosystem that solves operational headaches; and individual vehicle owners across Egypt, with one simple mission — to make life on the road easier.

Marwan’s journey reflects a mindset rooted in execution, scale, and real-world impact. Whether navigating government relations, building partnerships, or launching mobility solutions, he believes true innovation happens when technology solves practical problems and quietly improves everyday experiences.

What professional experience did you have before Tafweela?
I have had the honor of working in several leadership roles across multiple technology and digital sector companies. Most notably, I led Business Development and Government Relations at Swvl, served as Commercial Director at Halan, and was Business Development Manager at Careem. Prior to that, I founded several marketing, advertising, and branding companies in Alexandria.

How did the idea of Tafweela come about?
The idea dates back to 2016, when I was working at Careem. We noticed drivers’ reluctance to accept card payments because they relied heavily on cash to pay for fuel at gas stations. This highlighted the importance of having a digital solution that enables vehicle owners to manage and pay for all vehicle-related expenses—regardless of type—especially for vehicles used for commercial purposes.

The idea is relatively new to the market. What were the main challenges you faced?
One of the key challenges was convincing fuel station owners. However, over time, and with the emergence of several companies operating in this sector, this challenge has been significantly mitigated as service providers increasingly embraced digital transformation.

What technology does Tafweela offer, and what is its main objective?
Tafweela provides a modern and practical technology that enables vehicles to adopt fully digital payment methods for all services provided to them. Through a scan-based payment system, we help Egyptian companies manage their fleets more efficiently, eliminate cash transactions, and gain access to accurate analytical data on vehicle performance and consumption rates.

Is Tafweela’s system limited to companies only? What are your expansion plans?
We initially started by serving companies, but our upcoming expansion plans include individuals and private vehicles. Our ultimate goal is to fully digitize Egypt’s transportation and vehicle ecosystem and provide a seamless digital payment experience for all users.

What is the Tafweela Wallet, and how does it work technically?
The Tafweela Wallet is an NFC sticker installed on a company vehicle. This sticker identifies the vehicle within the system and creates a dedicated financial account that can be used at fuel stations and service providers. Fleet managers can set specific rules and spending limits for each vehicle. For maximum security, the sticker can only be read via Tafweela’s dedicated POS devices.

How does Tafweela’s dashboard help companies manage their fleets?
The dashboard allows managers to transfer funds from a main account to individual vehicle wallets and apply different restrictions for each vehicle. It also provides detailed consumption analytics and interactive reports that help companies significantly reduce costs and improve operational efficiency.

You mentioned a smart POS device. What does it offer?
Tafweela’s smart POS device reads the NFC sticker and accesses all vehicle data, including assigned limits and restrictions. It also features a camera to capture the vehicle’s odometer reading, and all transactions are secured using a PIN code to ensure maximum safety.

How is Tafweela digitizing the driver rewards system in partnership with Talabat?
We signed a strategic partnership with Talabat Egypt to digitize the rewards system for delivery drivers. Through this collaboration, more than 28,000 drivers can redeem their Talabat loyalty points for petroleum products via Tafweela’s nationwide network of fuel stations.

How do drivers benefit from this new system?
Drivers can exchange part of their loyalty points for petroleum products—currently gasoline, with plans to expand to oils and motorcycle accessories. This is done through the Tafweela app, which allows drivers to choose the nearest station from more than 500 stations across 27 governorates.

What steps were taken to roll out the service on the ground?
We coordinated with the top 50 authorized Talabat agents, and all vehicles were registered to ensure smooth operations. The service operates through a smart mechanism: the driver selects the station via the app, and the station attendant verifies the license plate and completes the fueling process automatically based on the available balance.

Has the company received any investments?
Yes, the company operates under the umbrella of T-Vencubator Investment, which focuses on addressing major challenges by investing in digital infrastructure that enables innovative technological solutions across various sectors. Tafweela was selected to work on digital payments for vehicles and road services.

What does the company rely on to attract investors?
Tafweela follows a clear strategy centered on developing diverse and integrated technological solutions and products tailored to all vehicle-owning target segments. This approach creates broader opportunities for growth, expansion, and generating revenue from multiple sources.

What do you rely on to lead the company toward success?
First and foremost, success comes from God’s guidance, and then from the team. The team is the cornerstone of any system, whether technological or traditional. The success of any idea requires diversity in expertise, talented individuals capable of generating innovative ideas, executing them efficiently, learning quickly, and making sound decisions.

Based on your experience, what advice would you give to entrepreneurs?
First: Before you start, focus on solving a real problem—not just a good-looking idea. Test your solution at the lowest possible cost through a minimum viable product, and learn from the market and the customer. Understanding the customer is more important than understanding the product, because the product is the result of understanding customer needs—not the other way around.

Second: Cash flow is more important than profitability, especially in the early stages. Having liquidity to sustain and grow the business is far more critical than achieving quick but inconsistent profits.

Third: Mindset and leadership. Work on yourself every day and continuously develop your communication, leadership, vision-building, and pitching skills—for your team, investors, and the market. These skills are acquired over time through practice, so prioritize learning them before rushing toward success.