Former South African Springbok
Keynote | MC | Presenter
Bryan Habana is a former South African rugby union player. Playing as a wing, Habana was one of the stars of the 2007 Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok squad, scoring eight tries in the competition. This meant he equalled the record for most tries scored in a single World Cup, set by the late Jonah Lomu in 1999. Later that year, Habana was named the 2007 IRB Player of the Year.
At the 2015 Rugby World Cup, he equalled another of Lomu’s records, scoring a total of 15 tries across multiple World Cup tournaments. He is currently in second place for the number of all-time rugby test match tries scored, with a tally of 67.
Since retiring in 2018, Bryan has been fulfilling various ambassadorial and punditry roles as well as doing talks around the world.
His philanthropic drive and desire to continue giving back is burning as bright as ever and he is looking to use the Bryan Habana Foundation in several different ways to do this.
Former Springbok player Bryan Habana’s fintech start-up, Paymenow, is one of six global start-ups that have been accepted into the global inclusive fintech accelerator Catalyst Fund.
Paymenow is a financial wellness app that allows low-income workers to access part of their earned wages before payday, providing access to much-needed liquidity while empowering them to avoid the costs and dangers of debt.
Paymenow’s participation in the seventh cohort of the Catalyst Fund acceleration programme provides the company with £80 000 (R1.7 million) in grant capital, bespoke and expert-led venture building support for six months, and networking connections with investors and corporate innovators that can help it scale.
The Stellenbosch-based company was launched last year by Habana and co-founders Willem van Zyl, Deon Nobrega and Gerry Potgieter, after they investigated similar offerings in the UK market and realised they were not compatible with local requirements.
Developed specifically for the South African market, Paymenow integrates into employers’ payroll systems and offers a way for South African low income earners to even out their cash flows throughout the month.
