South African Finance Minister Seeks to Stop Pension Funds From Investing in Cryptocurrencies

South African finance minister Enoch Godongwana has put forward proposals that bar pension funds from investing in cryptocurrencies, and has also set November 12 as the public comment deadline. Cryptocurrencies a Grey Area According to a report by Business Insider SA, Godongwana’s timeframe for the public to comment on the draft proposals suggests he wants … Read more

Fintech Firm Centbee Graduates From South African Regulatory Sandbox

Fintech firm Centbee recently announced it has successfully completed the testing of its cross-border remittance application, Minit Money. The testing of the application was carried out within the framework of the South African Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group (IFWG)’s regulatory sandbox. Using Crypto to Enable Faster and Cheaper Remittances In a statement, the fintech firm claims … Read more

Central Bank Governor: South Africa’s Digital Currency Study Ongoing

South African Reserve Bank (SARB) governor, Lesetja Kganyago, has once again confirmed that the central bank is presently studying the feasibility of issuing a digital currency. In his remarks at the SARB’s annual general meeting, governor Kganyago suggested his organization has embarked on this study to keep abreast with the growing trend of central banks … Read more

South Africa Bank Blocks Clients From Buying Crypto on Binance, Exchange Rejects Allegations

A South African bank, Absa, has reportedly blocked use of its credit cards for users buying cryptocurrencies on international exchanges, according to one media report. The claims come after clients of the financial institution reported receiving a text message informing them of the suspension of online payments made to leading crypto exchange, Binance. Binance’s Alleged … Read more

Johannesburg Stock Exchange Rejects Bitcoin ETF Application, Cites Lack of Regulatory Framework

South Africa’s Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) has rejected a request by the asset management firm, Sygnia, to list a new bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF). In justifying its rejection of the latest proposal by Sygnia, the JSE cites the “lack of a regulatory framework for cryptocurrencies as the reason.” Unexpected Rejection Meanwhile, a report suggests that … Read more

South Africa Working Group Releases New Position Paper Calling for Regulation of Crypto Asset Providers

South Africa’s Intergovernmental Fintech Working Group (IFWG) has a released new position paper that calls for the regulation of the country’s cryptocurrency ecosystem. In the document, the IFWG, which is a creation of the South Africa Reserve Bank (SARB), recommends “a staged approach to bring crypto-assets within the regulatory remit through the regulation of crypto … Read more