He leverages technology to broaden access to financial services. This initiative demonstrates that innovation can become a direct driver of development for small businesses and their communities.
South African engineer, finance specialist, and technology entrepreneur Gregory Andrews is the co-founder and CEO of the fintech startup Tata iMali.
Founded in 2023 by Andrews and Donel Chihoma, Tata iMali develops card payment acceptance solutions specifically designed for micro, small, and medium enterprises. Its goal is to drive financial inclusion within low- and middle-income communities.
The company offers an Android application that converts a smartphone into a payment terminal or digital wallet, allowing merchants to accept payments via QR code. Its services primarily target neighborhood businesses, emphasizing rapid transactions and offering customer support via WhatsApp and telephone. It's leveraging technology to broaden access to financial services. This initiative demonstrates that innovation can become a direct driver of development for small businesses and their communities.
In April 2025, Tata iMali raised $150,000 USD from Stefan Thomas, the former Chief Technology Officer of Ripple and a digital payments specialist. The funding is intended to accelerate the company’s expansion and support the launch of a new rewards program to enhance its market differentiation.
Andrews holds a diverse academic background, earning a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Pretoria in 2021. In 2023, he completed a blockchain training program at the University of Zurich in Switzerland, and he obtained a master’s degree in Financial Technology from the University of Cape Town in January 2025.
His professional career began in 2020 at MathU Teaching Emporium, an artificial intelligence and software engineering firm, where he worked as a content developer. In 2022, he joined Mesh.trade, a South African financial markets platform, as a business analyst before launching Tata iMali.
Melchior Koba
