What Future Forex does

Future Forex SA (Pty) Ltd is a Cape Town-headquartered, licensed South African financial services provider founded in 2020 by Harry Scherzer (CEO) and Josh Kotlowitz (co-founder/CTO) to address transparency gaps in the domestic forex market. Operating under FSP license 51884 with SARB approval as a Foreign Exchange Intermediary and FAIS Category I and II authorizations, the company delivers international money transfer, currency risk management, and regulatory compliance services to high-net-worth individuals, SMEs, importers/exporters, and financial intermediaries exclusively within South Africa.

The platform is built on proprietary technology integrated with Authorised Dealers, ADLAs, Local Exchanges, and Offshore Exchanges, providing real-time exchange rate aggregation, automated execution, and a self-serve digital interface complemented by dedicated account managers. Core product lines comprise Personal Forex (send money abroad, invest offshore, purchase overseas property, bring money into South Africa, emigration/return, and estate/inheritance settlement), Business Forex (international payments, import/export settlement, Forward Exchange Contracts and CFC accounts for currency risk, and SARB approval assistance), and a Crypto Arbitrage service that executes hedged, simultaneous buy/sell trades between offshore and local crypto exchanges. Adjacent offerings include Smart Conversion Services (stablecoin-to-ZAR via a partnership with Bridge Building Limited), an AIT Application Service, and a Hidden Fees Calculator.

Revenue is generated entirely on a transaction-fee basis: up to 2% commission on FX transactions, up to 2% on same-currency transactions, up to 1% per annum on credit balances, tiered 25–35% spreads on crypto arbitrage (inversely tiered by investment size), capped 2% on smart conversion, and a R500 fixed fee on standalone AIT applications. Distribution combines direct sales with white-glove account management, a self-serve platform, and a referral-based partnership program for IFAs, wealth managers, estate agents, attorneys, and tax practitioners. The company is privately held and bootstrapped with no disclosed external funding.

Name

Future Forex

Legal name

Future Forex SA (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://futureforex.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Future Forex is a Cape Town-based, SARB-approved Foreign Exchange Intermediary (FSP 51884) that provides international money transfers, currency risk management, SARB/AIT compliance assistance, and crypto arbitrage services to high-net-worth individuals, SMEs, importers, exporters, and financial advisors across South Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foreign Exchange Services

NAICS

Securities and Commodity Contracts Intermediation and Brokerage (5231), Financial Transactions Processing, Reserve, and Clearinghouse Activities (522320)

SIC

Security & Commodity Brokers, Dealers, Exchanges & Services (6200), Commodity Contracts Brokers & Dealers (6221)

akta.pro primary industry

Cross-Border & FX Payments Platforms (BPAMAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer Remittances (P2P) (FSAMAIAA), Crypto Payments & Stablecoin Settlement Platforms (BPAMAFAL)

Keywords

• Foreign exchange services
• International money transfers
• Cross-border payments
• Currency risk management
• Crypto arbitrage trading

Headquarters

HQ city

Cape Town

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. FX Transaction Commission: Commission received from Authorised Dealers and ADLAs on FX Transactions, charged as a percentage of each transaction value.
2. Same-Currency Transaction Fees: Fees charged on same-currency transactions, calculated as a maximum percentage of the transaction value.
3. Administration Fees on Credit Balances: Commission received from Authorised Dealers or administration fees levied on account credit balances, capped at 1% per annum.
4. Crypto Arbitrage Spread: Spread earned on crypto arbitrage transactions, calculated as the difference between Local Price and Offshore Price, with tiered percentages based on investment amount. Spreads range from 25% to 35% depending on investment size.
5. Smart Conversion Spread: Spread between spot rate and conversion rate on stablecoin-to-ZAR conversions, capped at 2% per transaction.
6. AIT Application Service: Fixed fee of R500 for handling Approval of International Transfer applications on behalf of clients.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Future Forex provides international money transfer and currency exchange services for South African individuals and businesses, including Personal Forex (sending money abroad, offshore investing, overseas property purchases, emigration, inbound transfers, and foreign estate settlement), Business Forex (cross-border payments, import/export settlement, currency risk management via Forward Exchange Contracts, and SARB approval assistance), Crypto Arbitrage (hedged arbitrage between international and South African exchanges), and Smart Conversion Services for stablecoin-to-ZAR conversions. The company earns commissions and spreads on transactions and provides complimentary regulatory compliance support for AIT, SARB, and SARS processes.

Product overview

Future Forex operates as a platform offering two interconnected core product lines: Personal Forex and Business Forex services for international money transfers, plus Crypto Arbitrage for investment services. Personal Forex encompasses six sub-services (Send Money Abroad, Invest Offshore, Purchase Overseas Property, Bring Money Into South Africa, Emigrate/Return to South Africa, Settle an Estate/Inheritance) all built on a shared infrastructure of regulatory compliance (AIT applications, BoP submissions, SARB approvals), dedicated account management, and market-beating exchange rates. Business Forex mirrors this structure with four sub-services (Make International Payments, Import or Export Goods, Manage Currency Risk, Apply for SARB Approvals) targeting SMEs and corporate clients. The Crypto Arbitrage service operates as a separate investment product utilizing the same compliance infrastructure but focused on cryptocurrency price arbitrage. Supporting services include AIT Application Service, Smart Conversion Services for stablecoin-to-fiat conversion, a Partnerships program for financial advisors, and self-service tools (Hidden Fees Calculator, Get a Quote). The platform differentiates through transparent pricing, no hidden fees, and integrated regulatory compliance support across all services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Personal Forex International money transfer service for South African individuals enabling them to send money abroad, invest offshore, purchase overseas property, bring money into South Africa, emigrate or return, and settle foreign estates or inheritance. Includes complimentary AIT applications, BoP submissions, SARS tax residency assistance, and a dedicated account manager.
• Business Forex Foreign exchange service for South African importers, exporters, and SMEs covering international payments, import/export settlement, currency risk management via Forward Exchange Contracts and CFC Accounts, and complimentary SARB approval assistance.
• Crypto Arbitrage Low-risk investment service in which Future Forex acts as agent to buy crypto on international exchanges and sell on South African exchanges to capture price differentials. Executes fully hedged, simultaneous buy/sell transactions that eliminate forex and crypto exposure for clients.
• Smart Conversion Services Service that allows clients to sell stablecoins to Future Forex and receive ZAR fiat funds, with optional locked-in conversion rates for pre-booked conversions and settlement within 24-hour windows. Bridge Building Limited provides the underlying fiat funds infrastructure.
• AIT Application Service Regulatory filing service that handles Approval of International Transfer (AIT) applications on behalf of clients at a fixed fee of R500, or complimentary when used alongside Future Forex's transfer services.

Quantifiable outcome

• Banks charge 2-3% margins that frequently wipe out any perceived benefits from timing currency fluctuations
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Bridge Building LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationBridge Building Limited is a third-party financial institution that provides fiat funds services for Future Forex's Smart Conversion Services. Future Forex opens accounts on behalf of clients with Bridge to facilitate stablecoin-to-ZAR conversions. The terms and conditions of Bridge's services are accessible on Bridge's website and are binding on clients who use the Smart Conversion Services.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/futureforexSA
• LinkedInza.linkedin.com/company/future-forex
• Instagraminstagram.com/future.forex_za

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Future Forex