WHY THIS INITIATIVE?
Why the industry spotlight ?
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South Africa’s fintech ecosystem is evolving rapidly.
From digital banking and payments infrastructure to onboarding, accessibility and SME enablement, fintech is increasingly becoming a key driver of financial participation across the market.
This initiative is designed to encourage meaningful ecosystem dialogue, industry insight and collaboration across South African fintech.
The FINASA Industry Spotlight was created to:
Highlight companies contributing to the future of financial access and fintech infrastructure
Connect fintech participants across different layers of the ecosystem
Support broader conversations around scalable financial participation in South Africa
Create more meaningful ecosystem dialogue and collaboration
EDITION 2
Building Investable Fintechs: Why Proof Matters More Than the Pitch
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South Africa’s fintech ecosystem is full of ambitious founders, strong ideas and real problems worth solving. Yet many fintechs still struggle to raise capital, even when they have a product, customers and a clear market opportunity.
In the second edition of FINASA Industry Spotlight, Nic Smalle, Anton Gaylard, Andre de Wet and Vincent Maseko unpack what investors are really looking for, and why funding is rarely won in the pitch alone.
Together, they explore a simple but uncomfortable question:
If South African fintechs are solving real problems, why do so many still struggle to prove they are investable?
FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS
Nic Smalle, Partner, Apis Partners
Anton Gaylard, Co-Founder & CXO, Crossfin
Andre de Wet, Co-Founder & President,
Flood Pte Ltd
Vincent Maseko, Co-Founder & CTO, Akopay
HOW IT WORKS
How the Spotlight Works
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Each edition features selected companies and industry voices across the fintech ecosystem through executive interviews, editorial commentary and a published insight feature that explores a specific theme shaping South African fintech.
Ecosystem Theme
FINASA identifies a relevant fintech theme based on industry developments, member priorities and market conversations.
Executive Insight
Selected leaders contribute through interviews or written responses that bring practical, company-level insight into the broader theme.
Editorial Spotlight
FINASA shapes the contributions into a cohesive industry narrative, connecting individual perspectives to wider ecosystem issues.
Published Insight
The final feature is published and shared through FINASA channels, giving members visibility while advancing a broader industry conversation.
WHY IT WORKS
Building a more connected ecosystem
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The Industry Spotlight initiative forms part of a broader FINASA ecosystem strategy focussed on:
Fintech collaboration
Ecosystem visibility
Financial participation
Infrastructure Awareness
Industry dialogue
Emerging innovation
Ecosystem intelligence
Future initiatives linked to the program may include:
