We recently announced the retirement of our Co-Founder and CEO, Eran Feinstein. Feinstein has been part of DPO Group since its inception in 2006 and helped build the company from scratch to become one of Africa’s leading payment providers. Last year, Feinstein successfully managed DPO’s sale to Network International (NI), a globally renowned enabler of digital commerce across the Middle East and Africa. Feinstein will step down in November after a thorough handover period, working closely with the Group’s senior Team to ensure a smooth transition. While this may be the end of an era of Feinstein’s time at DPO, we are truly grateful for all the guidance and growth he has dedicated to the organisation.
DPO began life in 2006 when Feinstein, along with Co-Founder Offer Gat, was approached by a Kenyan airline which needed the technology to process bookings online from overseas visitors. The pair quickly spotted a gap in the market for payment services, and DPO was born. Since then, Feinstein has played an integral role in leading the company to one which works with over 60,000 active merchants in more than 21 countries in Africa with the help of 450 employees.
Eran’s leadership has helped secure DPO’s client list, which includes global customers such as Expedia, DHL, KFC, Uber, Radisson and Booking.com, and partners with over 50 African banks, including Standard Bank Group and Ecobank. Under Eran’s stewardship, the company’s driving mission is to transform the digital payments sector in Africa, allowing all kinds of businesses, whether large or small, access to a level playing field when it comes to payment and card solutions.
Related: DPO Group to be acquired by Network International in landmark deal for the African payments space
One of Feinstein’s lasting legacies is to build a company that nurtures and rewards African talent, focusing on recruiting locally and promoting from within that pool.
Feinstein said: “I am proud to have played my part in developing the next wave of African tech talent as DPO enters its next phase. It has been an incredible journey, from the two-man start-up in 2006 to the leading digital payments success story DPO is today. Having helped build the Team that leads the company now, I know I couldn’t be leaving it in better hands.”
As we pay ode to Eran Feinstein’s time with DPO Group, we’d like to thank him for his leadership and continued contribution to the company’s success. We’d also like to congratulate him on all his accomplishments and wish him well on his retirement.
When tasked with the search for a suitable candidate to succeed Eran, it became clear that the best person would be someone who has worked closely with Feinstein and possess unwavering business knowledge. The newly appointed Regional Managing Director for Acquiring in South Africa, Brendon Williamson, is ready to take the reigns.
Brendon Williamson said: “DPO would not be the company it is today without Eran’s drive and determination. Thanks to his tireless hard work, DPO made a series of smart acquisitions, including what was then one of the largest acquisitions by a PSP in 2019 when it bought PayFast in South Africa. That achievement is typical of how Eran has built DPO up: he is never afraid to take on difficult challenges, and I have learned so much from him over the last six years of working together.”
DPO Co-Founder Offer Gat said: “Eran has been instrumental in creating financial freedom for businesses in Africa. Thanks to his vision, companies across the continent can now get access to payment technology that is safe and secure. He has played an important role in the digital transformation in many African economies; although the work is not yet finished, the foundations he has laid have created an enduring legacy of which he should be deeply proud.”
For more information on this and other organisational changes, please visit our PR & Media resource page.
