South African-born digital banking Tyme Group has been named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies for 2025, a global honor that recognizes organizations making an extraordinary impact through bold innovation and transformative scale.
Founded in South Africa and now operating across two continents, Tyme joins the ranks of global giants and past honorees such as Apple, Nubank, OpenAI, and TikTok. This milestone reinforces the company’s mission to serve entire populations – not just the privileged few—through inclusive, accessible digital banking. Listing Tyme as a “Pioneer” in the renowned list, TIME highlights how Tyme’s growth story is “fuelled by a simple idea: meet underbanked individuals where they already are.”
“Being named one of the 100 most influential companies in the world isn’t just about our business success,” said Karl Westvig, CEO of TymeBank. “It reflects our mission to build a banking platform that helps people realize their ambitions – from growing a business to managing household finances with confidence. We’re building banks that work for everyone, and the world is taking notice.”
Tyme’s South African roots
Tyme’s journey began in South Africa, where it continues to transform the local banking landscape. TymeBank, its flagship local brand, has become one of the fastest-growing retail banks on the African continent, with over 11 million customers.
Focused on simplicity, transparency and affordability, TymeBank is designed to make banking easy, affordable and accessible to all South Africans—from informal traders to salaried professionals. Through its hybrid model that combines smart digital platforms with in-person service at over 1,300 retail partner outlets, TymeBank has democratized access to financial services for millions.
Following a US$250 million Series D funding round in 2024, led by Latin America’s Nubank, Tyme achieved unicorn status, joining an elite league of billion-dollar startups. The company is backed by a global network of investors, including African Rainbow Capital (ARC), Tencent, British International Investment, Apis, and M&G Catalyst.
“We are grateful for this recognition,” said Coen Jonker, CEO and Co-Founder of Tyme Group. “At Tyme, we believe that great retail banking should be available to everyone—not just a privileged few. This acknowledgment from TIME affirms our belief that inclusive, population-scale digital banking can be both socially transformative and commercially powerful.”
This recognition cements Tyme’s place on the global stage and underscores the potential of South African fintech to shape the future of banking for billions of people across emerging markets.
