The South African FinTech sector has officially entered a "post-hype" era, transitioning from a race for user acquisition to a disciplined focus on sustainable profitability and institutional stability. Between January 12 and January 25, 2026, the local ecosystem signaled a clear departure from the experimental phase. We are seeing a new reality where regulatory clarity and big-bank consolidation are no longer barriers to innovation, but the very catalysts for it. The Regulat

2026 and the Convergence of Innovation and Regulation The South African fintech ecosystem has entered a pivotal phase. What was once a promising frontier has become a mature, competitive market where technology, consumer demand, and regulatory clarity are intersecting at unprecedented pace. As we move into 2026, the data from 2025 tells a story of rapid scaling, emerging challenges, and a critical inflection point for the industry. The Numbers Don't Lie: Scale and Momentum Th

The awards ceremony unveiled a stellar lineup of winners whose contributions have set new benchmarks in fintech innovation:

Vodacom Business and Zadara Cloud revealed their partnership’s latest offering - Sovereign AI Cloud and GPU-as-a-Service, a solution aimed at empowering African fintechs with secure, agile and cost-effective cloud infrastructure

The world of finance is evolving at a breakneck pace. Every day, new tools, platforms, and ideas emerge, transforming how we manage money, invest, and conduct business. We stand at the forefront of this revolution, witnessing the rise of modern financial technology that promises to reshape economies and empower individuals. But what exactly is driving this change? How can we harness these innovations to build a more inclusive and efficient financial ecosystem? Let’s dive deep

Darren sat down with Kevin Odudoh from Vodacom Business and Tapfuma Mvere from XLink to unpack how their collaboration is engineering the payments infrastructure that enables Africa’s digital transformation.

We’re watching embedded finance move rapidly away from basic payment rails into lending, insurance, merchant cash advances, and hyper-contextual financial products. BNPL (Buy Now, Pay Later) is gathering pace in e-commerce, but supply chain platforms and B2B marketplaces are now embedding credit lines and settlement tools, responding to SME real-time needs.

At the heart of this transformation is the African FinTech workforce - a diverse, mobile, and increasingly global community redefining what innovation looks like on the continent.

Agentic payments allow AI “agents” to act for humans, handling everything from shopping to bill payments, instantly managing supplier deals or remittance flows. South Africa’s strong fintech sector, widespread mobile banking adoption, and rising ecommerce penetration make it fertile ground for agentic innovations

FINASA’s searchable glossary explains 200+ acronyms in SA fintech, payments & banking: PayShap, DebiCheck, SAMOS, PASA, SARB, FSCA, FIC, PCI DSS, ISO 20022, KYC, AML, and more.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of South Africa’s economy, from informal traders and spaza shops to independent artisans and startups. Yet these businesses have often been cash-only, partly due to high fees and strict requirements associated with formal payment services (like card machines and merchant bank accounts)

Financial inclusion is a powerful movement reshaping economies and empowering individuals. We all know that access to financial services...

We all know that the FinTech industry in South Africa is one of the most dynamic on the continent. New players are entering the market,...

This November, South Africa will host an unprecedented gathering that brings together two of the continent’s most influential platforms

We are observing an extraordinary rise in innovation, investment, and adoption that is transforming the financial sector. Why is this...

South Africa has a choice to make. We can keep competing in fragmented silos, leaving the door wide open for global stablecoin giants to dominate our market, or we can come together and build shared infrastructure that reflects our own regulatory expertise, economic needs, and South African grit.

A mobile-first strategy builds trust, drives adoption, and unlocks innovation. With the right platform, issuers can launch features faster, engage customers through their preferred channels, and stay one step ahead of emerging threats.

The Africa FinTech Festival (AFF) serves as a central hub for collaboration, discussion, and action among industry stakeholders. The festival's significance will only increase as we approach 2026.

Innovation is often associated with sleek offices in Sandton or Stellenbosch. But what if the next big disruptor in financial services...

How do we break down barriers and bring financial services to everyone, especially those traditionally left out? The answer lies in innovative strategies for financial inclusion