Tyme Group company profile: valuation, funding & revenue

This Tyme Group company profile covers the company's valuation, revenue, funding rounds, investors and history. Tyme Group works in fintech, with a focus on digital banking for emerging markets. It was founded in 2019 and is headquartered in Singapore (operations in South Africa and the Philippines). Its latest valuation on record is US$1.5 billion (December 2024). Every figure links to a public source, and anything the company hasn't disclosed is marked as such.

Revenue

Funding history

Tyme Group timeline

Key dates from the sources on this page, oldest first. Metric snapshots are listed after the funding events.

• 2019 — Tyme Group is founded in Singapore (operations in South Africa and the Philippines) by Coen Jonker (co-founder and chairman) and Clive Pintusewitz.
• Dec 2024 — Series D: US$250M, valuing the company at US$1.5B. Investors: Nu Holdings (Nubank) (lead, US$150M for 10%); M&G Catalyst (US$50M); existing shareholders.
• December 2024 — Customers: More than 15 million across South Africa and the Philippines.
• December 2024 — IPO plans: Reportedly eyeing a New York IPO by 2028 with a secondary listing in South Africa.

Investors

Overview

Tyme Group runs digital banks for people who have been poorly served by traditional banks. Its two main businesses are TymeBank in South Africa and GoTyme Bank in the Philippines. Both combine a mobile banking app with physical presence: customers can open an account in minutes at kiosks inside supermarkets and retail chains, helped by staff known as "ambassadors", then bank through their phones. Accounts carry low or no monthly fees, and the banks offer savings, payments, cards, loans and merchant services.

Tyme Group was formed in 2019 to bring together TymeBank, launched in South Africa, and its expansion into Asia. Coen Jonker, a co-founder who serves as chairman, and Clive Pintusewitz founded the group. It is headquartered in Singapore, with major operations in Johannesburg and Manila and a technology hub in Vietnam. Its largest early backer is African Rainbow Capital, the investment group of South African billionaire Patrice Motsepe.

The "phygital" model

Many digital banks operate only through apps. Tyme combines digital with physical. In South Africa, TymeBank placed account-opening kiosks in stores operated by retail partners such as Pick n Pay and Boxer, where customers already shop regularly. Customers can deposit and withdraw cash at store tills. In the Philippines, GoTyme partnered with the Gokongwei Group's retail network, including supermarkets and malls, to do the same. This approach lowers the cost of acquiring customers, builds trust with people who are wary of purely digital banks, and solves the cash problem in economies where cash is still widely used.

Products

• Everyday accounts: low-fee transaction accounts with debit cards.
• Savings: goal-based savings pockets with competitive interest.
• Lending: personal loans and, through its merchant business, working capital for small businesses based on their card sales.
• Merchant services: card acceptance and financing for small retailers.
• Remittances and payments: transfers, bill payments and digital payments.

Funding

Tyme Group has raised nearly US$600 million in total. In December 2024 it closed a US$250 million Series D at a US$1.5 billion valuation, becoming a unicorn. Nu Holdings, the parent of Brazil's Nubank, led with US$150 million for about a 10% stake; M&G's Catalyst fund invested US$50 million; and existing shareholders contributed the rest. Earlier investors include African Rainbow Capital, Tencent, the Philippines' JG Summit (Gokongwei Group), British International Investment, Norrsken22 and Apis Growth Fund.

Nubank's investment was particularly significant. Nubank built one of the world's largest digital banks in Latin America by serving people neglected by incumbent banks, the same strategy Tyme pursues in Africa and Asia. The partnership gives Tyme access to Nubank's experience in scaling credit and products to tens of millions of customers.

Customers and profitability

At the time of its Series D, Tyme said it had more than 15 million customers, with around 10 million in South Africa and about 5 million in the Philippines. TymeBank reached profitability in South Africa in late 2023, which media reported as a first for a digital bank in the country. GoTyme grew quickly in the Philippines after its 2022 launch. Tyme hasn't published consolidated group revenue in the sources we used, so we show revenue as not disclosed.

Expansion and IPO

Tyme has said it plans to expand to more emerging markets, with Vietnam identified as a next market and a development hub already operating there. Reports said the group was aiming for a New York IPO by around 2028, with a secondary listing in South Africa. Reports in 2025 also indicated TymeBank would adopt the GoTyme brand in South Africa, unifying the group's identity.

Competition

In South Africa, Tyme competes with large banks such as Capitec, which pioneered low-cost banking, and with digital banks including Discovery Bank and Bank Zero. In the Philippines, it competes with digital banks such as Maya and GCash's banking services, and with traditional banks. Its advantages are its retail partnerships, low cost structure and the backing of Nubank.

Tyme Group at a glance

Tyme Group is a Singapore-headquartered digital banking group founded in 2019 by Coen Jonker and Clive Pintusewitz, operating TymeBank in South Africa and GoTyme Bank in the Philippines. It had more than 15 million customers when it raised a US$250 million Series D at a US$1.5 billion valuation in December 2024, led by Nubank's parent Nu Holdings. TymeBank reached profitability in 2023.

Why emerging markets need different banks

In many emerging markets, large parts of the population have no bank account or use one only to receive wages before withdrawing everything in cash. Traditional banks find these customers expensive to serve through branches and charge fees that deter them. A digital bank with low costs and simple products can serve them profitably at scale, especially if it can earn from lending and payments as customers become more active. The challenge is reaching customers and building trust, which is why Tyme's retail partnerships matter.

Lessons from Nubank

Nubank grew from a credit card in Brazil to more than 100 million customers across Latin America, becoming more valuable than many traditional banks. Its playbook, a simple product, excellent customer service, low costs and data-driven credit, is what many emerging-market digital banks try to copy. Nubank's investment in Tyme is a bet that the same approach can work in Africa and Southeast Asia, and a sign that successful fintechs from one emerging market are now investing in others.

Risks

• Credit risk: lending to customers with thin credit histories requires careful underwriting.
• Currency: revenue earned in rand and pesos can lose value against the dollar.
• Competition: strong incumbents and other digital banks compete for the same customers.
• Execution: running banks in several countries means meeting different regulators' requirements.

Latest developments (October 2026)

Tyme Group has not raised since its December 2024 Series D led by Nubank. Fintech News reported in 2026 that the group expects to decide within a year on a third market for its GoTyme bank and that a listing looks more likely in 2029 or 2030 than in 2028. GoTyme in the Philippines also launched an employee share scheme. See our largest African startups guide.

What to watch

Watch customer growth, group profitability, the Vietnam launch, the brand unification under GoTyme, and progress towards an IPO.

For readers

Customers in South Africa and the Philippines have low-cost banking options with physical access points. Fintech founders can learn how retail partnerships cut acquisition costs. Investors should watch whether Tyme can replicate Nubank-style growth across several very different markets. Related African fintechs include Moniepoint and Wave.

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the public sources below. Where sources disagreed, we used the company's own announcement or a primary news report. Private-company data changes; check the date beside each figure.

1. Tech Funding News