{
  "id": 6745283,
  "title": "SA fintechs compete for same small talent pool",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/11/sa-fintechs-compete-for-same-small-talent-pool",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-09-11T09:01:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ITWeb",
    "slug": "itweb",
    "url": "https://www.itweb.co.za/article/sa-fintechs-compete-for-same-small-talent-pool/Kjlyr7wBxeKvk6am"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "FinTech companies are battling for the same limited pool of specialised skills, including AI-native developers and staff knowledgeable about high-speed payment systems. Lesaka Southern Africa CEO Lincoln Mali claims his company has no issues attracting scarce fintech skills. However, Altron FinTech MD Johan Gellatly points out a shortage of specialised skills needed to build and run payment systems results in delays when recruiting new employees. Gellatly mentions it takes about six months to recruit a senior person who could fit the company's culture and values if they leave the organisation. Lesaka attracts talent from banks, fintechs, retailers, and telcos, as its various businesses offer a wider pool for recruitment, according to Mali. The dual-listed FinTech firm provides financial services, software, and other business services to Southern Africa's under-served market. Mali attributes the company's success to the skills it has built since its formation in 2022, replacing Net 1. Among the skills Lesaka seeks are data analytics, AI-native software developers, cyber security, and sales, as well as leadership. Pnet's latest Job Market Trends Report, released in August, shows that men still make up 67% of professionals listing AI skills on their CVs, while women make up 32%. Over the past three years, the proportion of women listing AI skills has increased from 25% to 32%. FinTech companies are also competing with banks for staff, as banks are also fighting for these skills. Banks are \"poaching\" staff, which poses a challenge for FinTech companies since they cannot pay the same salaries as banks. Altron FinTech's technology platforms cater to the payments and microfinance sectors, allowing registered credit providers to digitally extend, disburse, and collect credit. The platform relies on 32 to 35 developers who ensure its systems run smoothly. Gellatly mentions that payment transactions typically take around three seconds, during which about 17 different transactions need to occur, making the required domain knowledge extremely scarce and sought after. Altron FinTech outsources some development that it doesn't need to develop internally. For instance, mobile app development is not considered a mission-critical skill for the company. Instead, Altron FinTech focuses on onboarding, growing, and upskilling its employees, even though this makes them \"very mobile\" and \"very lucrative.\"",
  "summary": "As fintech firms fight for specialised skills, Lesaka and Altron FinTech take different approaches to finding and building talent.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}