Cape Town, South Africa
David de Villiers
Chief Information Officer, Consumer DivisionChief Technology Officer, Merchant Division
Lesaka Technologies (NASDAQ: LSAK | JSE: LSK)
Building fintech, payments and banking technology that scales, since 1997.
- Since 1997
- Leading technology in banking, payments and fintech
- 15
- Patents registered
- 420
- People led across product and development teams at Derivco
- 40,000+
- Restaurants on Zapper, the payments platform I founded
- 12K
- LinkedIn followers
About
Strategy, built.
I am an entrepreneurial technology executive with deep expertise in fintech, e-commerce, banking and business innovation.
I architect unconventional business strategies and build high-performing teams that turn chaos into order, creating functions that deliver lasting business value. My work spans financial investments and banking, payment solutions and education technology, combining technical innovation with business acumen to realise strategic visions and scale organisations.
I have founded multiple ventures, registered 15 patents, and led teams of over 420 people across global operations.
Strategic Leadership
- Strategy Formulation & Execution
- Enterprise Architecture
- Business Transformation
- Senior Stakeholder Management
- Talent Management
Technology & Innovation
- Fintech & Payments
- Banking Systems
- Application Architecture
- Software Development
- E-commerce Platforms
Methodologies
- Agile Project Management
- Scrum Framework
- Lean Startup Principles
- IT Service Management
- Project Management
Experience
Career
Since 1997, leading technology as a business enabler across banking, gaming, payments, education technology and listed fintech.
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Chief Information Officer, Consumer Division & Chief Technology Officer, Merchant DivisionCurrent
Leading technology strategy for a publicly traded fintech platform delivering financial services to underserved consumers and merchants across Southern Africa through proprietary banking and payment technologies.
Alongside my role as CIO of the Consumer Division, I was asked to serve as CTO of the Merchant Division, providing technical leadership and driving product innovation across both divisions. On 1 August 2026, Kazang, EasyPay, Adumo and other brands came together as Lesaka.
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Chief Executive Officer
Built and scaled an education technology company empowering institutions with transformative online education. Structured a modern e-commerce platform with automated processes, achieving profitability and positive cash flow while expanding the product portfolio across multiple brands.
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CEO & Founder
Founded and scaled a smartphone payment platform to 40,000+ restaurants worldwide. Conceptualised and registered 15 patents. Built a highly scalable multi-currency payment platform, bringing online insights and marketing capabilities to brick-and-mortar businesses globally.
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Head of Product
Led multi-disciplined product and software development teams of up to 420 people across 13 global development teams. Executed a turnaround strategy and designed a new product suite with modern architecture and distribution strategy.
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Head: IT & Strategic Products
Led IT as a business enabler at a JSE- and LSE-listed bank, pioneering banking IT innovations. Managed a team of 77+ and played a pivotal role in meeting London Stock Exchange standards.
Patents
Selected patents
15 patents registered, conceptualised while building Zapper's payment platform. A selection of published US applications:
- Bill Payment System and MethodUS 201902208342019
- Networked Electronic Transaction ConfirmationUS 201901975562019
- Exchanging Physical Cash With An Electronic Funds AccountUS 201900054732019
- Payment Confirmation System and MethodUS 201701403732017
- Systems and Methods for Communicating Transaction Information Between Electronic DevicesUS 20220005018Filed 2019
Writing
Articles
On scaling, architecture and leadership in fintech. Published on LinkedIn.
Am I covering all my bases? A CIO's honest self-assessment for fast-growth fintech
Read on LinkedIn →The Tyranny of the Urgent: Why Most Companies Fail to Scale
Read on LinkedIn →Navigating the Subtle Science of Transitioning from Legacy IT to Agile Fintech Architecture
Read on LinkedIn →Swipe Right on the Future: Mobile Payments and E-Commerce's Perfect Match
Read on LinkedIn →
Recommendations
In their words
From colleagues on LinkedIn.
“One of the most influential leaders I've had the opportunity to learn from.”
“David has been one of the best CEOs I have ever had the pleasure of working with.”
Education
Education & certifications
Formal business and law education, with continuing study in strategy, digital transformation and compliance.
Education
- MBA, Business Administration and ManagementHenley Management College2007
- Leadership Development ProgramGordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS)2004
- BCom, LawUniversity of Johannesburg1994
Certifications
- SOC 2 Master ImplementerScytale SOC 2 Academy2026
- Digital Transformation Strategy for Business LeadersGIBS, Online Masterclass2025
- Disruptive StrategyHarvard Business Online2021
Languages
English, Afrikaans (native) · Spanish (elementary)
Contact
Let's talk
Interested in connecting? Send me a message and I'll get back to you.
- LocationCape Town, South Africa
- LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/daviddevilliers