- Overview
- Significant Matters
Overview
Africa has a well-deserved reputation for fintech innovation, and many jurisdictions in Africa are among the world’s most prolific users of fintech products such as mobile money and payment services. Various regulators have flagged concerns over issues around consumer protection, data privacy and protection and the competition implications of the digital economy.
Our lawyers on the ground are finely attuned to conditions in various strategic jurisdictions and regularly assist clients to understand and navigate the shifting regulatory landscape on the continent.
We have been at the forefront of advising start-ups, investors and corporates in relation to mobile money and payment systems businesses. We have experience in the fast-developing area of crypto assets, having advised local and international cryptocurrency exchanges and trading platforms.
Fintech products, services and partnerships are multifaceted. Our teams of lawyers are not only multijurisdictional; they are also multidisciplinary. On any given fintech matter, we are able to advise across the range of pertinent legal disciplines including:
- regulation of payment services, lending, banking and exchange control
- data protection and data privacy
- insurance
- tax
- corporate/mergers and acquisitions
- competition
- dispute resolution
- intellectual property
- corporate finance
- anti-money laundering
One of the most exciting aspects of the fintech ecosystem in Sub-Saharan Africa is the range and diversity of fintech players and partnerships, a growing trend being collaboration between start-up tech disruptors and mature organisations in banking, insurance, telecommunications, retail and over-the-top services. We have advised organisations across the spectrum.
Chambers and Partners, 2022
‘regarded as a one-stop shop for entities of all sizes in the sector, including emerging startups’
‘held in high regard by clients for its ability to provide legal support on cross-border transactions and intellectual property matters in the FinTech sector’
‘called on by clients for significant mandates concerning payments, blockchain, cryptocurrency and financial services regulation, among others’
‘pronounced expertise in the FinTech sector’
‘ especially adept in handling issues in the areas of blockchain, regulatory compliance and payments’
‘dedicated to educating the wider ecosystem on new theoretical and legal developments’
Legal 500, 2021
‘at the forefront in the fintech space’