Author: Staff Writer
Clickatell, the CPaaS innovator and Chat Commerce leader, today announces it has secured $91 million in their Series C round. This round was led by Arrowroot Capital, with participation from Kennedy Lewis Investment Management, Endeavor Global and Harvest. Clickatell, which has delivered double-digit profitable growth for several years, will use the Series C capital to scale and expand three key areas: (i) Accelerated development and innovation of its Chat Commerce offering, (ii) Expansion of its footprint in the U.S., and (iii) Scaling of sales and marketing efforts on the back of growing demand from leading brands. The new capital will…
Naspers, through its tech investment vehicle Naspers Foundry, announced a R15 million investment in Floatpays, an on-demand earned wage access platform that helps customers build financial wellness. Floatpays provides customers with real-time access to a portion of their earned but not yet paid income at any time during the month, giving them an alternative to using credit to cover unplanned expenses. This is Naspers Foundry’s third fintech investment and its ninth transaction since its launch in 2019. “We’re excited to invest in and support Floatpays in its aim to help people avoid debt and provide support to South Africans during…
BMW Group South Africa & Sub-Saharan Africa announces the appointment of Julia Modise as the new Director of Human Resources and Klaus von der Osten-Sacken as the Director for Digital and Global Solutions. Von der Osten-Sacken and Ms Modise assumed their new roles as of 1 January 2022 and 1 February 2022, respectively. With 23 years of human resource (HR) expertise, including 13 years at an executive level, Modise brings invaluable and vast experience to the BMW Group, gained across the retail, manufacturing, listed property, media and entertainment, as well as consulting sectors. She joins the automotive manufacturer holding a…
US-based CRM specialist Salesforce today announced that it has pushed forward with expansion plans in South Africa by establishing its first legal entity in the country. Additionally, the company announced the appointment of its first two South African leaders: Zuko Mdwaba as Head Of Sales and Linda Saunders as Head of Solution Engineering. South Africa is a rapidly developing and youthful market with enormous potential. Salesforce has established its presence in the country over the last decade through its growing ecosystem of partners and customers which IDC estimates will generate 31,800 new jobs and $5.1 billion in new revenue in…
Lipa Payments, a South African-based FinTech start-up, is bringing the “Tap to Pay” experience to Africa’s informal sectors with its software solution that enables merchants to accept contactless payments directly from a mobile phone. Lipa (pronounced Lee-puh) partners with banks and FinTechs to enable affordable, accessible, and fast payments for merchants, even if they have low-end mobile phones. It’s also safer and more hygienic than dealing in cash. Developed in 2019 by FinTech entrepreneurs Thando Hlongwane and Roger Bukuru, the Lipa Payments solution has secured a R10 million investment from Empowerment Capital’s Imvelo Ventures, which is backed by Capitec Bank.…
South Africans have an estimated R300 billion in Krugerrands hidden in drawers and safes, unaware that they could be using the value of their gold to fund day-to-day financial transactions. FinTech, Troygold, allows gold owners to upload and digitise their physical gold and then use it for transactions and finances. Customers receive an ownership certificate and can then save, spend and borrow against their gold bullion via a mobile app and Mastercard debit card. The gold storage and insurance are free of charge. Troygold was co-founded by brothers Bastiat and Dane Viljoen. “Gold is history’s most stable money in terms…
JUMO, a technology company building next-generation financial services for emerging market entrepreneurs, today announced the appointment of Nichola Pease as Non-Executive Chair. Nichola has more than 35 years’ experience in the financial services industry, including at chief executive level. She brings a wealth of leadership skills and in-depth knowledge of global financial ecosystems to the JUMO Board. “We are delighted to welcome Nichola to the JUMO Board as Chair. She is a great leader and I am excited to have the opportunity to work closely with Nichola,” Andrew Watkins-Ball, JUMO Founder and CEO, said. ” Her appointment will help…
Hijacking remains a common and terrifying reality in South Africa. Stats provided by the national police commissioner for Q3 of 2021 showed a total of 4,973 hijackings were reported in 2021, a 3.5% increase from the same period in 2020. The country’s leading security and medical response marketplace, AURA, recently released its very first Crime Trend Report which noted hijackings and attempted hijackings as one of the top ten reasons people called on AURA for help. With crime on the rise, AURA says the need for greater access to inclusive and affordable on-demand emergency services is more urgent than ever.…
Just two years after entering the African market by opening an office in Johannesburg, Sonum International will be making another commitment to its EMEA growth by opening a Cape Town office in March. According to Adrian van der Merwe, one of the founders of Sonum Africa, when the company started in Johannesburg, it immediately implemented some very appealing projects for large companies, which formed a solid basis and led to the search for new opportunities. “Cape Town is home to sectors such as insurance, food and clothing retail which we are primed to address,” says Adrian. “Our presence in Cape…
Forget cash. The rise in digital payment tech, and a big push by businesses to go contactless, has changed the way South Africans pay and get paid. The shift in behaviour has been a major catalyst in growing the FinTech sector in the country, helping to increase the usage of much of the payment innovation that people use every day. This has given rise to several payment providers, who all have one thing in common – to make it easier and more convenient for people to transact. Simply put, it’s about access to simple payment solutions… for everyone. To be…