A $60M Shake-Up in South African Digital Banking

A $60M Shake-Up in South African Digital Banking
A $60M Shake-Up in South African Digital Banking

Hey Digital Banking Fanatic!

Lesaka has just received approval from the Competition Commission to proceed with the takeover of Bank Zero, a deal they have been working on since July.

The South African FinTech has sealed a $60 million deal that includes a mix of shares and cash, with Bank Zero shareholders retaining a 12% stake in Lesaka.

Now, Lesaka gains a ready-built platform and customer base to fuel its ambitions of becoming a vertically integrated powerhouse.

As part of the agreement, executive chairman for Bank Zero, Michael Jordaan, will join the Lesaka board, while co-founder Yatin Narsai will take a leadership role on the team.

Ali Mazanderani, Lesaka’s chairman, called the acquisition  “ a transformative event.”

Kicking off a renewed chapter for an innovative South African digital bank, the takeover signals progress in the national FinTech arena.

Now let’s dive into today’s biggest digital banking stories 👇

Cheers,

Marcel


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NEWS

🇿🇦 South African FinTech plots major takeover of Michael Jordaan's Bank Zero in $60m deal. Lesaka Technologies has received approval from the Competition Commission to acquire Bank Zero. The $60 million deal includes a mix of shares and cash, with Bank Zero shareholders retaining a 12% stake in Lesaka.

🇳🇬 YC-Backed FinTech Moni rebrands as Rank after two acquisitions. As part of the shift, Rank has acquired AjoMoney, a digital group-savings provider, and Zazzau Microfinance Bank, a licensed MFB offering savings, deposits, and small-business lending. The new identity reflects its plan to offer a wider suite of tools for individuals and businesses to save, spend, invest, and manage money in one place.

🇦🇪 Zand becomes the second UAE digital bank to issue a regulated dirham-backed stablecoin. According to the release, Zand AED aims to bring the AED Dirham into the global digital rails with the security of a regulated bank and the speed and openness of the blockchain.

🇸🇬 Revolut launches Flexible Cash Funds for Singapore businesses, providing companies with the ability to invest in money market funds that offer variable annual percentage yields of up to 4.48% on US dollar balances. Customers can open up to 100 funds per account, with no minimum or maximum investment limits imposed.

🌏 Banking Circle has joined forces with JD FinTech to support faster and more reliable cross-border payment services for global businesses. JD FinTech said the integration will help reduce friction in international transactions and deliver scalable, compliant payment solutions for businesses and consumers.

🇺🇸 JPMorgan Chase launches new anti-scam program, expanding investments in technology, operations, and specialized staff to counter increasingly sophisticated financial crimes. Chase said it uses technology to detect suspicious activity and deploy an in-app warning or stop a payment, particularly for transactions linked to social media or other high-risk sources.

🇦🇪 Thunes and First Abu Dhabi Bank partner to launch real-time cross-border & wallet payments across the Middle East. FAB customers will be able to send real-time payments across more than 130 countries, providing clients with transparent, efficient, and accessible international payment solutions.

🇺🇸 Klarna delivers record-breaking Q3 as AI-powered digital bank: $903 million in revenue and 4 million card sign-ups in four months. CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said Q3 was the company’s strongest quarter yet, with U.S. revenue up 51%, GMV up 43%, rapid adoption of the Klarna Card, and continued growth in Fair Financing. The company expects to exceed $1 billion in revenue in Q4 2025.


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