About André
André de Wet is a Cape Town-based operator and serial founder with more than 20 years' experience building and scaling marketplace, fintech and payments businesses in Africa, Southeast Asia and the UK. He was CEO of PriceCheck (2011–2015), which he grew into Africa's largest price-comparison marketplace and exited to a VC firm; Head of Africa at iflix (2016–2017), where he launched eight African countries and hired 85 people in six months; and CEO of card issuer T24 Global Issuance in Singapore (2008–2010). He wrote Vodacom's super-app strategy and MVP, which fed into what became VodaPay, and in 2021 founded FLOOD, a super-app layer that runs marketplaces inside telco and bank apps (~$400M GMV). Through 2ndBase he works with venture-backed companies entering Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East, and he advises boards, founders and leadership teams on market entry, payments and distribution through telcos and banks.
Emerging markets don't reward imported playbooks. The infrastructure is incomplete, consumer behaviour is still forming, and the winners build for the market in front of them, not the one in the case study. My thesis, which I set out in Forbes, is that distribution trumps innovation: borrow the trust and reach that telcos and banks already have.
I've done the expansion a fintech or scale-up is about to attempt: launching markets, signing telco and bank partners, building local teams fast and owning the P&L.
Payments & fintech background
Card issuing, payment service providers, mobile money and super-apps: the infrastructure fintechs need to win in emerging markets.
FLOOD: super-app layer in telco and bank apps
Founder. Built the telco partnership architecture, merchant onboarding and payment rails across several African markets. ~$400M GMV and 14M+ transactions a year.
Vodacom super-app strategy → VodaPay
Via 2ndBase: researched the global super-app landscape, built a working MVP and presented to the Vodacom Board. The go-to-market model was adopted into Vodacom's national mobile-commerce strategy, which later became VodaPay (Alipay/Ant).
PayU (Naspers/Prosus): Head of Business Development
Commercial scaling, partnerships and merchant acquisition for the payment service provider.
T24 Global Issuance, Singapore: CEO
Built a B2B card-issuing business in Southeast Asia under Visa and Mastercard frameworks across several jurisdictions. Launched a high-value international prepaid Mastercard (limits up to $50,000). Owned the full P&L, hiring and negotiations with financial institutions.
AFS Africa, London: Founder & COO
Prepaid cards linked to mobile apps. Raised $3M in venture capital, signed contracts to roll out 1M+ cards across Southern Africa and negotiated with Visa and Mastercard.
Experience
General management, market launches and partnerships at founder, CEO and regional-GM level.
- 2021 – present
Founder · FLOOD (Flood Pte Ltd, Singapore; run from Cape Town)
A super-app layer that runs marketplaces inside telco and bank apps, so merchants can sell to the customers those apps already have. ~$400M GMV and 14M+ transactions a year; live in West Africa. Raised institutional funding.
- 2018 – present
Founder & CEO · 2ndBase Inc, Cape Town
Expansion partner for venture-backed companies entering Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Work includes UBU International (core platform shipped in 9 weeks with a 60-person team; $10M seed secured), three consecutive funding rounds for MyFanPark, and digital strategy for Clicks Group.
- 2018 – 2019
Digital Commerce Consultant · Vodacom (via 2ndBase), Johannesburg
Wrote the super-app thesis and MVP presented to the Vodacom Board; adopted into the national mobile-commerce strategy that became VodaPay.
- 2016 – 2017
Head of Africa · iflix, Cape Town
Set up iflix's African operation: 8 countries and 85 hires in six months, with 5,500 hours of content live at launch. Raised $20M and negotiated the Kwezé-iflix JV with Econet (Zimbabwe). Core team member on iflix's $133M Series D led by Hearst.
- 2011 – 2015
CEO · PriceCheck, Cape Town
Grew PriceCheck into Africa's largest price-comparison marketplace, with 700%+ year-on-year growth at peak. Expanded into Nigeria by end-2012, launched a co-branded app with MTN and won International BlackBerry App of the Year 2013. Profitable exit to a VC firm in 2015.
- 2010 – 2011
Head of Business Development · PayU (Naspers/Prosus)
Commercial scaling, partnerships and merchant acquisition.
- 2008 – 2010
CEO · T24 Global Issuance, Singapore
B2B Visa and Mastercard prepaid card issuing across Southeast Asia.
- 2007 – 2008
Founder & COO · AFS Africa, London
Prepaid cards linked to mobile apps; $3M venture capital raised.
Areas of expertise
Hands-on operating experience, built as founder, CEO and regional GM across Africa, Southeast Asia and the UK.
Education, mentoring & recognition
Education
- MSc Global Management, University of Salford (UK)
- Executive Education Program, Harvard Business School, 2011
- Foundation Programme in Private Equity, GIBS, 2015
- VC Lab Venture Capital Accelerator, Founder Institute, 2022
Mentoring & recognition
- Endeavor South Africa: Mentor and Selection Committee member
- Techstars: Mentor · Founder Institute: Senior Mentor
- Forbes Business Council: contributor
- Most Innovative Business Leader, South Africa (Global Brands), 2019
- Fast Company SA Top 25 (PriceCheck), 2015
Writing
Essays on commerce, payments, AI and distribution in emerging markets. All articles →
The New Direct Report: How AI Is Changing Management
Why briefing is the master skill of the AI age, judgment is the new bottleneck, and the firm itself is being redrawn
Read the essay → Essay · 14 October 2026The Audience You Already Own
How a telco, bank or MVNO turns idle reach into a local commerce funnel — and why almost everyone who has tried it so far got the order wrong.
Read the essay → Essay · 7 October 2026The Firm of One
Why Africa's next hundred million businesses will skip the Western company playbook — and why AI is how they do it
Read the essay →In the media
Interviews, podcasts and talks on super-apps, digital commerce and building in emerging markets.
Distribution Trumps Innovation: How To Win In Emerging Markets
July 2021: why distribution, not innovation, decides who wins in emerging markets.
Read on Forbes → PodcastSuper apps: the future of convenience
Moneyweb Now: why trust and distribution through telco and bank apps are reshaping how consumers transact.
Listen on Moneyweb → InterviewWhat's Next: FLOOD and digital commerce
MyBroadband interview on how FLOOD helps established businesses and small retailers compete digitally through super-apps.
Read the article → VideoYear of the SuperApp
A talk on the rise of the super-app and what it means for business and consumers.
Watch on Vimeo → Fast CompanyFeatured as CEO of a Top 25 company, 2015
Fast Company feature on PriceCheck as one of South Africa's Top 25 companies to work for, under André's leadership as CEO.
Read on LinkedIn → Book · #1 Best SellerFounders in Focus: Unstoppable Entrepreneurs & Their Game Plans
#1 Best Seller in Commerce on Amazon. Contributing author to a collection of founder stories on building through failure and uncertainty.
View on Amazon →Speaking
Keynotes, panels and boardroom sessions on super-apps, marketplaces, distribution and winning in emerging markets. Bookings are handled through Famous Faces.
Frequently asked questions
Quick answers for boards, investors, journalists and event organisers.
What is André de Wet's experience in emerging-market expansion?
As Head of Africa at iflix (2016–2017) he set up the African operation: 8 countries and 85 hires in six months, $20M raised and the Kwezé-iflix joint venture with Econet in Zimbabwe. As CEO of PriceCheck (2011–2015) he expanded the business into Nigeria, and as CEO of T24 Global Issuance (2008–2010) he built a card-issuing business across Southeast Asia from Singapore. Since 2018 his firm 2ndBase has worked with venture-backed companies entering Africa, Southeast Asia and the Middle East.
What is André's payments and fintech background?
He was Head of Business Development at PayU (Naspers/Prosus) in 2010–2011; CEO of T24 Global Issuance in Singapore from 2008 to 2010, running a B2B Visa and Mastercard prepaid card-issuing business across several jurisdictions; and Founder & COO of AFS Africa in London in 2007–2008, which raised $3M in venture capital for prepaid cards linked to mobile apps. In 2018–2019 he wrote Vodacom's super-app strategy and built its MVP, which fed into what became VodaPay. Since 2021 he has built FLOOD, a super-app layer that runs marketplaces and payment rails inside telco and bank apps.
Which markets has André launched in or operated in?
South Africa, Nigeria (PriceCheck), eight African countries for iflix including Zimbabwe, West Africa (FLOOD), Singapore and Southeast Asia (T24 Global Issuance and iflix), and the UK (AFS Africa, London).
What is his experience with telco and bank partnerships and super-apps?
He wrote Vodacom's super-app thesis and MVP, presented to the Vodacom Board and adopted into its national mobile-commerce strategy, which later became VodaPay. At iflix he negotiated the Kwezé-iflix joint venture with Econet, and at PriceCheck he launched a co-branded app with MTN. FLOOD, which he founded in 2021, runs marketplaces inside telco and bank apps (~$400M GMV). His view, set out in Forbes, is that in emerging markets distribution trumps innovation.
Where is André de Wet based?
He is based in Cape Town, South Africa, and has run businesses from Singapore and London. He is a UK passport holder.
How can I contact André de Wet?
For speaking, advisory and media enquiries, email info@dewet.eu or message him on LinkedIn. Speaking bookings can also go through Famous Faces.
Beyond business
A few things that don't fit a CV but say something about how I operate.
Largest kitesurfing flotilla, Cape Town, 2016
Local promoter behind the Virgin Kitesurfing Armada, where 415 kitesurfers set an official Guinness World Record off Cape Town on 30 January 2016, after eighteen months of planning, sponsors and a lot of wind.
Read on Guinness World Records →
Crossed the Himalayas by motorbike, 2017
Rode over the Khardung La Pass in Ladakh: 18,380ft, long billed as the world's highest motorable road.