Investing in trust: Inside Exness’ vision for Cape Town and beyond

With a new regional office opening in Cape Town, Exness is deepening its commitment to the region’s traders, talent, and technology ecosystem. We spoke with Saheed Akinbiyi, Exness Country Manager for South Africa, about why the city has become a strategic focal point for fintech growth and how the broker plans to help shape a more connected and sustainable trading landscape across Sub-Saharan Africa. 

South Africa is often seen as one of the most advanced financial markets in Africa. From your perspective, what do you think makes its fintech ecosystem stand out today?

In South Africa, we’ve seen three key factors converge: strong and established regulation, a rich pool of tech and financial talent, and the rapid adoption of digital solutions in payments and trading. Together, these create an ecosystem where innovation can grow responsibly, moving quickly enough to meet users’ needs while remaining structured enough to build their trust. This is why we see South Africa as a natural hub for Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). 

Cape Town, in particular, has been described as a fintech capital. Why does the city stand out?

Cape Town brings together world-class universities, a well-established startup culture, and a mindset that is globally curious yet firmly rooted locally. It draws founders and specialists who want to create solutions for both Africa and the wider world. That combination is powerful for any company working at the crossroads of finance and technology. For Exness, it represents a place where innovation, talent, and opportunity come together. Opening our new office is our way of committing to being present where that energy thrives.

 How does Cape Town compare with other emerging fintech hubs, such as Dubai?

Dubai shows what is possible when bold regulation is combined with large-scale infrastructure. Cape Town reflects a similar story in the African context, with strong institutions, international connectivity, and a rapidly growing payments and trading ecosystem. The key difference is proximity: from Cape Town, we are closer to the everyday realities of Sub-Saharan African traders, which allows us to build with them rather than merely for them.

 You’re opening a new state-of-the-art office in Cape Town. What does this facility represent for Exness and for traders?

It is a regional hub, home to local talent that serves both South African and Sub-Saharan African clients while connecting to our global expertise. Having a physical presence makes a real difference: it shortens feedback cycles and strengthens relationships. This translates into faster client support, more tailored education, and closer collaboration with partners and regulators. On a strategic level, it also signals a long-term commitment to the market and its people.

 What trends are you seeing among African traders—in behavior, goals, or expectations?

Traders want control, clarity, and efficiency. Control is about fast, predictable access to funds. Clarity is transparent costs and conditions—no fine print. Efficiency is execution quality and stable trading costs. When brokers deliver on those three, traders can plan and manage risk with more confidence.

 Concretely, how does Exness align with those expectations?

When it comes to control, our payments model allows automated withdrawals¹ at any time, whenever payment processors permit, so clients’ withdrawal requests are processed within seconds. For clarity, we make all costs transparent and share historical pricing data, giving traders the ability to verify, compare, and plan with confidence. In terms of efficiency, we prioritize low and stable spreads along with strong execution across platforms. Together, these form the foundation of a truly reliable trading experience.

 Hiring locally is a big part of your narrative. Why is local talent so central to the strategy?

Local context is a real advantage. By hiring and developing South African professionals who understand the market’s nuances, we can serve clients more effectively and build sustainable operations. It also enables us to contribute to the growth of the community itself.

How will the Cape Town office serve traders beyond South Africa?

The Cape Town office will serve traders in two key ways. First, as a service hub, it directly supports SSA traders through client service and support, as well as partner enablement. Second, as a knowledge hub, it provides regional insights to our global product teams, enabling us to continuously improve the conditions that matter most to African traders. This is how a local office becomes a true regional gateway.

 If you had to summarize Exness’ broader vision for South Africa’s trading community in one line, what would it be?

Empowering sustainable participation means combining better-than-market conditions with transparency, strong governance, and genuine closeness to clients. By doing it this way, more people can take part in the markets with confidence and responsibility.

¹At Exness, over 98% of withdrawals are processed automatically. Processing times may vary depending on the chosen payment method.