The Springbok legend who started South Africa’s fastest-growing company

Widely regarded as one of the greatest rugby players ever, Habana won the 2007 Rugby World Cup in France. That same year, he was named the world’s best men’s rugby player.

Known for his blistering pace, Habana still comfortably holds the record for the most tries for a Springbok at 68, and his 15 tries scored during the World Cups equal the record set by Jonah Lomu.

After retiring from rugby in 2018, he co-founded Paymenow with Deon Nobrega, Willem van Zyl, and Gerbrand Potgieter a year later.

He served as the Chief Commercial Officer from 2020 to 2023, where he focused on business development, sales and growing the companies network. He then became Chief Client Officer in 2023.

Paymenow was founded to empower employees by breaking the cycle of debt with a responsible financial product.

The company primarily gives employees access to a portion of their salaries earned but not yet paid wages before payday, for a fee.

This is designed to be an alternative to costly payday loans, giving employees a buffer while they learn better money management and start saving.

The company also provides fee-free vouchers for essentials like groceries and electricity, which allows employers to cover their basic needs without additional financial strain.

Users can also focus on upskilling themselves via the app’s free financial education, with it also providing personalised support to help build financial stability.

They can also use the app’s financial tools to grow wealth, which includes a free interest-bearing savings feature.

Its recent data shows that the company is especially popular amongst young people, with the number of active users aged between 18 and 33 growing by 132%, far more than the 73% of older users.

“Young South Africans are showing remarkable financial intelligence by choosing earned wage access over predatory lending options,” said Denise Neethling, Head of Marketing at Paymenow.

“Rather than falling into debt cycles, they’re accessing wages they’ve already earned. This is a fundamentally more responsible approach to managing cash-flow challenges.”

The company’s growing popularity can be seen in the Financial Times’ ranking of the fastest-growing African companies for 2025.

The ranking, done in conjunction with research company Statista, orders companies based on their compound growth rate between 2020 and 2023.

Overall, Paymenow was named the sixth fastest-growing company in Africa, which was the best result for a South African company.

The company saw absolute growth of 3,756.1% and a 237.8% compound annual growth rate.

The company’s revenue increased from $0.14 million in 2020 to R4.86 million today. Its total number of employees also increased from 7 to 38

Other ventures

On top of his responsibilities for Paymenow, Habana was named the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation South Africa Chairman in 2024.

 “This organisation has long been a beacon of hope and positive change, using the power of sport to transform lives and communities the world over,” said Habana at the time of his appointment.

He also serves as a director for several companies, including procurement and Investment company Procura SA, UK-based BH11 Media Limited and construction supplier Quantech.

On top of Paymenow, he also co-founded Retroactive, a sports-focused marketing and advertising agency, in 2018.

The company is built on four key pillars: strategy, content creation, content dissemination, and reporting /analytical insights. He left his role as Chief Relationship Officer in 2024.

He would also leave a similar Matchkit, which allowed professional athletes to grow their professional profile, that same year.

Habana has not disappeared from the game of Rugby and regularly works as a pundit for major sports broadcasters.

He is also incredibly active in charity work, and recently played in the Soccer Aid match in Manchester United’s Old Trafford stadium, which raised £15.28 million (R370 million) for Unicef.

Issued on BusinessTech by Luke Fraser | https://businesstech.co.za/news/business/828956/the-springbok-legend-who-started-south-africas-fastest-growing-company/