Future Forex is a multi-award-winning fintech transforming the finance and investment landscape in South Africa. We do this through two core offerings: our low-risk, high-yield Crypto Arbitrage investment, and our end-to-end international payments service. Together, they’ve helped thousands of South Africans access world-class financial solutions that are transparent, customer-first, and cost-competitive.
My co-founder, Harry Scherzer, and I have brought complementary skillsets to the same mission. We both have a love of strategy (i.e. avid board game players), are risk averse, and are passionate about improving the lives of others. Harry is a qualified actuary who’s outgoing, rather ADHD, and loves growing and teaching people, while I’m a more introverted and completely not ADHD (i.e. perfectionist) “rocket scientist” turned tech entrepreneur who thrives on building things which achieve our shared goal of making life better for others.
Over the past six years, we’ve combined those complementary strengths with a team of specialists across technology, finance, law, compliance, and engineering to challenge the status quo in financial services.
It all began in 2020, when Harry and I each identified the same unique opportunity independently: Crypto Arbitrage, an investment strategy that capitalises on price differences between local and international crypto markets. It was highly lucrative, but at the time it was locked away from everyday South Africans by its own complexity, accessible only to those with deep cryptocurrency expertise, the technology to trade at speed, and a high tolerance for risk.
I brought my deep engineering expertise; Harry brought his background as a qualified actuary. Together, we built the infrastructure to automate the entire trading process, turning what had demanded real skill and technical expertise into a low-risk, fully regulated, and market-beating investment product. Alongside the technology, we’ve built a service model where every client has access to expert support, ensuring they understand how the process works and have someone to turn to whenever they need assistance.
Today, the product has delivered more than R600 million in client profits without a single client loss since inception. Along the way, Future Forex also became one of the first companies in South Africa to receive a Crypto Asset Service Provider (CASP) license – recognition of the robust governance, compliance standards, and client protections we’ve embedded into the business from day one.
However, through our Crypto Arbitrage product, we discovered that one of the most critical parts of the process – sending funds internationally – was far more difficult than it needed to be. The traditional banking experience when moving funds into or out of the country remains slow, opaque and unnecessarily expensive. Hidden exchange rate margins of 2–3% can cost clients tens of thousands of Rands, and those costs are rarely ever disclosed upfront. But, to make matters worse, clients are often left to navigate complex exchange control requirements with little guidance or personalised support, despite the process leaving very little room for error.
We believed South Africans deserved a better experience. So, in 2022, we decided to solve the problem ourselves. We secured our Financial Services Provider (FSP) license, became a registered Foreign Exchange Intermediary, and built the capability in-house. By integrating directly with our banking partner’s systems, we created a highly scalable international payments solution for South African individuals and SMEs moving money into and out of the country, making it quicker, easier and far more cost-effective to do so.
Essentially, we’ve built an end-to-end international payments service that manages everything from complimentary exchange control and compliance assistance through to the transfer itself, giving clients a genuine one-stop solution. Alongside a world-class online forex platform, mobile app, and automated WhatsApp service, every client is paired with a dedicated Account Manager they can contact directly whenever they need guidance. The result is the best of both worlds: technology that removes friction, backed by experts who provide reassurance, clarity, and personalised support throughout the journey.
Today, we’ve processed over R80 billion across 260 000+ forex transactions, saving individuals up to 50% compared to the major banks, while enabling South African SMEs – vital to job creation and economic growth – to reduce their foreign exchange costs by up to 30%, freeing up capital they can reinvest into growing their businesses, creating employment, and expanding into global markets.
Ultimately, when we encounter a problem that shouldn’t exist, we don’t simply accept it – we build a better solution. While that approach has been recognised through awards such as Company of the Year at the Africa Career Summit (2025) and the BCX Digital Innovation Award for Best in Technology (2024), the recognition we’re proudest of is our 4.9-star Google rating – one of the highest among South African fintechs – because it reflects the genuine experiences of the people we set out to serve.
We’ve been successfully challenging the status quo in financial services, proving that greater transparency, education and client-centricity can expand financial opportunity, raise industry standards and contribute to a better South Africa.
While Harry and I bring different perspectives to the table, we’ve never differed on our vision. We believe South Africans deserve a financial services industry built for them, not one designed to maximise profits at their expense. We’re deeply committed to helping make that vision a reality.
For the business, that means we’re only just getting started. Crypto Arbitrage and international payments were the first opportunities we chose to solve, but our ambition extends far beyond these offerings. We’re constantly looking for opportunities to challenge outdated ways of doing things, creating products and services that make finance and alternative investments simpler, more transparent, and more accessible for South Africans.
Personally, we believe leadership is a journey of continuous growth. As Future Forex grows, our ambition is to keep growing alongside it – becoming better leaders ourselves, developing the next generation of leaders within the business, and creating an environment where talented people feel inspired and challenged to do their best work.
More broadly, we believe entrepreneurship is one of South Africa’s greatest drivers of progress. We’ve worked hard to build a culture where people take ownership, think commercially, and are empowered to make decisions. By openly sharing what we’ve learnt and aligning incentives with the success of the business, we want our team to approach their roles with the same entrepreneurial mindset we do. In many ways we see our business as school for entrepreneurs and leaders.
We’re equally optimistic about the future of South Africa. This is a country full of resourceful, ambitious people who deserve a financial system that helps them succeed. We want to see more South Africans given real access to opportunities that have historically felt out of reach, more confidence in navigating their own financial decisions, and a stronger sense that the institutions meant to serve them are actually on their side.
If Future Forex can keep playing a part in that, alongside a finance industry that feels compelled to follow suit and continues to raise its own standard of trust and transparency, while also fostering new leaders and entrepreneurs, we would consider our mission complete.
Recreational activities
Outside of work, I’m happiest spending time with family and friends, getting outdoors, or doing something that keeps my mind busy. I love hiking, swimming in the ocean, camping, and other outdoor and water sports – there’s something about getting away from a screen and into nature that helps me reset.