Directors

Steven is registered as a chartered accountant with the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA). He has two decades of financial services experience, having spent 18 years working for Investec in South Africa and the UK. Previously, he served as Global Head of Private Banking and Joint Chief Executive Officer of Investec Bank plc. He played a major role in a private consortium that acquired the Cash Connect business in 2013 and was subsequently appointed as the CEO. In 2018, Steven was instrumental in developing an alternative business financing solution, enabling business funding to SMEs in just 24hrs, Capital Connect. Following acquisitions in the beginning of 2020, the Connect Group was formed and now has two new divisions namely Kazang Connect and Card Connect. Steven currently fulfils the role of the Group CEO of the Connect Group of companies.

Neil holds a B Com Accounting and an Honours degree in Taxation from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is a Chartered Accountant (CA(SA)) as well also being a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). He has worked both locally and internationally fulfilling a number of roles and positions across a range of industries spanning from investment banking to technology and education.

Martin began his IT career in the early 1980s, working for large blue chip companies such as Old Mutual and Barclays Bank. With experience in both Europe and the US, he co-founded Emerald Solutions, which specialised in developing large-scale internet applications for companies such as Nike, Intel and AT&T. As the CEO at Emerald, Martin raised approximately $40 million in venture capital funding. When he returned to South Africa in 2001, Martin was involved in a number of technology businesses before becoming CEO of Psitek, the founding company of Kazang Connect. Martin is now the CEO of Kazang Connect which was acquired by Cash Connect Management Solutions (Pty) Ltd in 2020.

Mark has an M.B.A. Marketing, from Oxford - Brookes University in the U.K, and an impressive 30 years of operations and logistics experience behind him, which includes working for SAB - and many years of consulting within the logistics, sales and marketing sectors. He has been with the company since 2009, earning him in-house awards of recognition for exceptional commitment and outstanding performance.

Chris has the following qualifications: MSc (Finance) (London Business School); Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (University of Cape Town). Chris was appointed as our Group Chief Executive Officer (Lesaka) on 1 July 2021. Prior to joining us, he was the Head of Corporate & Investment Banking and Joint Managing Director at Investec Bank plc, a London Stock Exchange-listed specialist bank and wealth manager, having served in many different roles within the Investec Group since 2001. Chris was also an executive director for various international and regional subsidiaries of Investec Bank plc. He is a member of the South African Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Naeem is registered as a chartered accountant; BAccSc (University of the Witwatersrand). Naeem has held progressively senior finance roles across the Middle East and Africa, based from Dubai, most notably as Group Chief Financial Officer of Emerging Markets Payments Group (EMP), a high-growth fintech business that grew materially and successfully concluded and integrated five acquisitions during Naeem's six-year tenure as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to this, Naeem was Senior Vice President for Finance, Investments, Strategy and Business Planning at Network International, a leading payment technology company in the Middle East. Since the acquisition of EMP by Network International in 2017, Naeem was an Operations Director and Strategic Advisor to the emerging market private equity firm Actis, where he again focused on fintech business investments and value creation initiatives.

Lincoln has the following qualifications: MBA (Henley Business School); LLB (Rhodes University); BA (Law and Politics). Lincoln was appointed as our Chief Executive Officer: Southern Africa on 1 May 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.