This episode explores the strategic discipline required to execute a disruptive vision for the future of finance. I am joined by Connie Bloem, Co-founder and Managing Director of Mesh - a digital capital markets ecosystem pioneering the transition to 'Finance 3.0.' Since 2019, Mesh has worked to democratise wealth by tokenising real-world assets, from corporate bonds to institutional real estate.

A major milestone in this journey came in July 2024, when Mesh became Africa’s first fully licensed issuance platform for tokenised assets. We discuss the transition from a three-year technical 'hardening' phase to this landmark regulatory achievement, and we explore the leadership choices required to make strategy 'stick' when building the future of capital markets.

About the guest: Connie Bloem, Mesh Co-founder and Managing Director: A former management consultant, Connie is committed to transforming financial markets through technology. With a background in industrial and financial engineering, she excels in design thinking and agile development. Connie’s vision is to provide widespread access to future financial markets. She brings expertise from roles at Accenture and Andile, where she contributed to treasury systems and digital banking apps.

About Mesh: Mesh.trade is a digital ecosystem for raising capital and trading capital markets assets. Founded on the belief that capital markets should be easy to access, simple to use and transparent, Mesh has built the underlying infrastructure for the future of finance. Through its streamlined, end-to-end global capital markets infrastructure, Mesh provides standardised tools and simplified workflows for complex market mechanisms and multi-geography regulatory requirements. Using the best of leading edge blockchain technology, Mesh has removed the need for many existing market intermediaries, removed the traditional barriers to entry, eliminated excessive participation costs, and made capital raising and investing much more efficient for all market participants. Mesh provides a multi-sided financial markets infrastructure within its ecosystem to connect issuers and investors directly to each other in a trusted way, facilitating easy interaction and secure, compliant and efficient trade.

If you’d like to explore the documents mentioned in the discussion, you can find it here:

• IMF: Tokenized Finance note by Tobias Adrian
• National Treasury: South Africa’s Draft Capital Flow Management Regulations, 2026

Final note: If you found this conversation valuable, please share it with your network or leave a rating wherever you listen to podcasts, it really helps grow the conversation.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are for informational and discussion purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Listeners should consult a qualified advisor before making any business or investment decisions.

This episode explores the strategic evolution of Lesaka as it transitions from its legacy roots into a unified, human-centric fintech ecosystem.

I am joined by Lincoln Mali, CEO: Southern Africa of Lesaka, to discuss the 'One Lesaka' Strategy — a mission to integrate major brands like Kazang, Connect, and Adumo into a single, cohesive platform serving merchants and consumers. We go behind the scenes of the landmark Bank Zero acquisition and the recent launch of the ZARU stablecoin, examining how Lesaka is leveraging modern 'rails' and blockchain technology to close the execution gap and digitize the informal economy across Southern Africa.

About the guest: Lincoln was appointed as Lesaka’s Chief Executive Officer: Southern Africa on May 1, 2021. He is a financial services executive with over 25 years in the industry. Until April 2021, he was the Head of Group Card and Payments at Standard Bank Group, having served in many different roles within that organisation since 2001. Lincoln chaired the board of directors of Diners Club South Africa until April 2021 and was a member of the Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa Business Council for Visa. Besides his other qualifications, he has attended an Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School and holds various diplomas in banking and management.

• Qualifications: MBA (Henley Management College); LLB (Rhodes University); BA (Law and Politics) (Rhodes University).
• Expertise: Strong relationships and network with key industry players in South Africa; motivational leadership style.

He is also the author of the best-selling book, Blazing a Trail: Lessons for African Leadership, which outlines his journey from student activist to corporate leader and provides a framework for ethical, human-centric leadership . All proceeds from the book support the Lincoln Mali Leadership Foundation, which focuses on youth development, school sports, and feeding schemes in informal settlements.

About Lesaka: Lesaka is a South African financial technology company delivering services to consumers (B2C) and merchants (B2B) across Southern Africa through proprietary banking and payment technologies. Their offerings include banking, lending, and insurance products for consumers, as well as cash management, bill payment, value‑added services, business funding, and card acquiring solutions for retail merchants. Founded in 1997 and strengthened by the acquisition of the Connect Group in 2022, Lesaka has entered a new era under a refreshed leadership team with international experience. The name Lesaka—meaning “kraal” in seSotho and seTswana—reflects their mission to build and protect the financial wellbeing of communities. By championing financial inclusion, they open new possibilities for underserved markets and drive meaningful fintech‑enabled solutions across Southern Africa.

Final note: If you found this conversation valuable, please share it with your network or leave a rating wherever you listen to podcasts, it really helps grow the conversation.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are for informational and discussion purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Listeners should consult a qualified advisor before making any business or investment decisions.

This episode explores how strategy is executed inside a fast-growing challenger bank and what it takes to translate strategic intent into measurable impact at scale.

I speak with Cheslyn Jacobs, CEO of GoTyme Bank, one of South Africa’s fastest-growing digital banks. As a founding team member, Cheslyn has been central to shaping the bank’s model and scaling it to millions of customers. We discuss the strategic choices, organisational capabilities, and leadership decisions that help strategy stick in a fast-moving financial services market.

About the guest: Cheslyn Jacobs is Chief Executive Officer of GoTyme Bank, one of South Africa’s leading digital challenger banks. A founding team member, he has played a central role in building the business and shaping its customer-centric, technology-driven banking model. Cheslyn was appointed CEO effective January 2026, following leadership roles including Chief Commercial Officer, where he was responsible for revenue growth, sales and customer engagement as the bank scaled its operations. Since launching in 2019, GoTyme Bank has grown to serve millions of customers through its accessible and transparent digital banking model. Prior to joining GoTyme, Jacobs held roles at Standard Bank and Deloitte. He holds a BCom in Industrial Psychology from the University of the Western Cape and a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management from the Gordon Institute of Business Science.

About GoTyme Bank: GoTyme Bank, formerly TymeBank, is a leading digital bank in South Africa and part of the global Tyme Group – a digital banking group operating across multiple markets (Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore) and serving 20 million customers. Since launching in February 2019, the South African bank has grown rapidly to serve over 12 million customers, with a clear focus on simplicity, transparency, and empowerment. Designed to make everyday banking more accessible, GoTyme Bank offers zero monthly banking fees, digital onboarding that takes less than 5 minutes, free instant payments, and market-leading savings rates. GoTyme Bank has been recognised globally, including being named on the TIME 100 Most Influential Companies list in 2025, reflecting its impact on digital banking innovation. Customers can access services through a combination of the GoTyme app, service kiosks, and a network of retail partners that support cash-in and cash-out transactions. In addition to retail banking, GoTyme Bank plays an important role in supporting small businesses through its merchant cash advance offering, helping to expand access to funding for millions of SMEs across the country.

If you’d like to explore the leadership books Cheslyn mentioned, you can find it here:

• Leadership: The Care and Growth Model
• Intent: Exploring the Core of Being Human

Final note: If you found this conversation valuable, please share it with your network or leave a rating wherever you listen to podcasts, it really helps grow the conversation.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this podcast are for informational and discussion purposes only and do not constitute financial, investment, or professional advice. Listeners should consult a qualified advisor before making any business or investment decisions.