By Andrew Maren, Founder and CEO of ProfitShare Partners
As the dust settles on the Finance Magnates Africa Summit (FMAS) 2025 in Cape Town, the headlines are saturated with talk of artificial intelligence: super apps, embedded finance, and algorithm-led platforms all promising to transform the continent’s financial future.
But amid the hype and headline-grabbing innovation, one South African fintech company — notably absent from the summit floor — delivered a powerful message from the sidelines.
ProfitShare Partners (PSP), which has facilitated over R 1.2 billion in SME Funding since 2017, used the moment to challenge the industry: If AI is truly the future of finance, then it must be built to serve Africa’s small businesses — not just its spreadsheets.
“AI can either deepen the divide or close it. We’ve chosen the latter,” said Andrew Maren, CEO and founder of PSP. “Our AI is built to serve entrepreneurs, not just improve margins.”
AI That Fuels Growth — Not Speculation
While many fintechs are channelling AI into trading platforms, investment tools, and crypto solutions, PSP has gone a different route — one rooted in the real economy.
The company has embedded AI directly into its SME Funding model. By analysing alternative data sources and behavioural risk indicators, PSP’s system identifies businesses with potential — and funds them swiftly.
If a small business has a verified contract or purchase order, PSP can release Funding within days. No collateral. No financials. No bureaucratic bottlenecks.
“We’ve already disbursed more than R 1.2 billion through this approach,” noted Andrew Maren. “And over 90% of our clients are previously disadvantaged South African entrepreneurs.”
Innovation Without Trust Is Just Hype
PSP’s position aligned with one of the key themes emerging from FMAS 2025: the importance of ethical, trustworthy innovation.
“We can’t treat African entrepreneurs like beta testers,” Andrew Maren cautioned. Real-world outcomes must lead the way. That’s why we believe AI must be transparent, explainable, and rooted in purpose.”
In a continent where trust in financial institutions can be fragile, responsible use of technology is not optional — it’s essential. PSP is calling on fintechs, developers, and regulators to work together to create AI that is not only effective, but also fair and accountable.
Building AI That Understands Africa
Many AI systems in the global fintech ecosystem are designed for environments with vast structured data, robust digital infrastructure, and predictable consumer patterns.
That’s not Africa. Here, SMEs operate in informal, cash-heavy ecosystems, often without credit histories, audited financials, or conventional collateral. PSP’s model embraces this reality by using AI that adapts to the entrepreneur, rather than expecting entrepreneurs to fit rigid criteria.
“We’re not trying to automate humans out of the process,” Andrew Maren explained. “We’re using AI to help people make smarter, faster decisions — especially when time and capital are in short supply.”
Scaling Technology with Purpose
PSP’s AI investment is part of a broader, long-term strategy: to digitise its Funding ecosystem, connect with procurement APIs, and offer contract-based capital at scale.
As it expands regionally across Africa, PSP plans to leverage AI to maintain both speed and integrity — without compromising on its Funding mission of impact.
“We measure fintech by lives changed, not lines of code,” said Andrew Maren. Africa’s future depends on getting this balance right — and we simply can’t afford to get it wrong.”
Building the Right Kind of Future
In a fintech landscape buzzing with innovation, PSP is building something quietly powerful: AI that works with Africa, for Africa.
At a time when artificial intelligence is being celebrated as the next frontier of finance, this South African fintech is asking a critical question — who is it really for?
If the answer isn’t real entrepreneurs, the revolution may already be heading in the wrong direction.
