LEADING PEOPLE WITH PURPOSE

"True leadership is not about command or control – it's about connection, service, and soul"

This statement was an inspiring high point of Lincoln Mali, CEO of Lesaka Technologies Inc., powerful keynote address at the KZN Top Business Awards 2025 on entrepreneurship, leadership, and purpose.

Lincoln Mali, CEO of Lesaka Technologies Inc.

Mali’s address to the audience began with a challenge: “A mediocre leader tells. A good leader explains. A superior leader shows. But a great leader inspires.” He added, “Tonight, I’ve chosen to tell the story of my entrepreneurial journey in the hope that it might inspire one or two of you to take your business to the next level.”

Reflecting on his transition from a 20-year corporate career, including his time as Head of Card and Payments at Standard Bank, Mali spoke candidly about the personal leap he made when joining the then-troubled fintech company that would become Lesaka. “I left my beloved Standard Bank for an uncertain future. Many of my colleagues never understood why – perhaps tonight I’ve answered some of their questions,” he commented candidly.

What began as a mission to support a struggling business evolved into something far more meaningful. “It became an undeniable calling – a calling to lead with purpose, to build platforms that matter, and to serve. Because if serving is beneath you, then leadership is beyond you.” The transformation of the company into Lesaka – a name that means ‘kraal’, or a safe, communal space – was “a declaration of intent,” said Mali. “We are not just digitising transactions; we’re humanising technology. We’re not selling products; we’re enabling potential.”

His leadership has yielded remarkable results. From a R700 million loss in 2022, Lesaka is now forecasting between R900 million and R1 billion in profit for the 2025 financial year. The business currently serves over 120,000 active merchants and 1.9 million consumers – many of whom were previously excluded from the formal economy.

But Mali reminded the audience that this was just the beginning. “This is not our finishing line. This is our foundation.” He emphasised the importance of people, stating, “We don’t build a business – we build people, and then the people build the business.”

In his closing, Mali called on the business community to lead differently: “Let us be the kind of leaders who inspire not just in words, but with action. Let us lead with soul, with humanity, and with big hearts.”