VezoPay, a South African company that developed a battery-free smart ring for payments, quietly began collaborating with the banks Investec and Absa, increasing its number of banking partners to four in less than a year. A fifth major retail bank is expected to join by the end of 2026.
None of these new integrations were officially announced. The collaboration with Investec started about three months ago, and the company has begun promoting the product. Absa credit cards were recently activated, and the bank plans a full-scale consumer launch within the next month, accompanied by an advertising campaign extending into 2027.
The company, founded by Jake Pinks and Lawrence Baker, first released its rings in July 2024. Previously, FNB and RMB Private Bank started working at the end of last October. Baker noted that the main growth occurred in the last six months.
VezoPay reports having a waiting list of about 35,000 people whose banks are not yet supported, a significant portion of whom are clients of a major retail bank planning a later launch this year but has not yet disclosed its name.
The Investec integration demonstrates the clearest demand. The bank ran a discount promotion for private clients—20% off the basic ceramic ring and 30% off the gold one—and VezoPay recorded hundreds of sales in the first few days, with demand unusually skewed towards premium models.
The founders claim that the limitation to growth is not production or technology, but the process of connecting banks. Each financial institution undergoes its own internal governance and approval procedure, followed by approval from the South African Reserve Bank.
Pinks reported that approval from FNB took approximately nine months, while Investec required about four. As the company gained momentum, requirements tightened, as banks began requesting data on penetration and stress testing, and in some cases, conducting real international transactions to confirm the possibility of fund traceability.
The product line has been simplified since the launch. A wider ring option for mass distribution was eliminated in favor of a thinner profile across the entire line, which now consists of three main groups: X, a ceramic ring in black, white, and pink; Classic, made of matte or polished stainless steel; and the gold Signature.
Rose gold was discontinued after proving controversial, and the founders have kept it for possible limited releases. The gold ring was redesigned with more chamfered edges following customer complaints that it got stuck between fingers, and the gold content was reduced from 21 carats to 18 carats. Increased production capacity led to a decrease in the price of gold, while ceramic and stainless steel models slightly increased in price. Gold rings are now supplied with free engraving.
The ring is equipped with a programmable NFC chip without the need for charging, it is waterproof, dustproof, and shockproof. Payment data is not stored on the device itself: when a card is linked, a one-time token is recorded, similar to how a wallet works on a phone. Only one bank card can be tokenized simultaneously.
Since the token is within the payment systems, the ring inherits the issuer's fraud control mechanisms—location and transaction speed checks, as well as a PIN request for amounts over 500 Rand or at an unfamiliar store. The ring can be locked via the app, and VezoPay added an emergency PIN allowing the user to freeze the device from any browser without using a phone.
Additional NFC features are in beta testing, including business cards, retailer loyalty cards, and an emergency medical profile containing blood type, allergies, and health insurance data, accessible by tapping any NFC-compatible phone.
The shareholder registry has also significantly expanded. Futi Mahanjele-Dabengwa, CEO of Naspers South Africa, invested early through the Three Birds group. Jonathan Smith, founder of Payfast, joined as an investor and advisor in early 2025 and continues to participate in the project.
The latest round attracted two former senior executives from the well-known cybersecurity firm Mimecast, who now manage investment and family offices. Baker stated that Three Birds' investments are currently valued at approximately 10 times their initial cost, although the company has not disclosed the size of any of the rounds.
In addition to South Africa, two banks in Mauritius are testing the product, and beta programs are running in three other African regions. VezoPay states that its relationships with Visa and Mastercard have opened doors for issuers on another continent.
It is often said nowadays that genuine love in relationships is rare. However, a story that went viral on social media is changing people's views. A young man spent eight months working hard to purchase a dream engagement ring for his girlfriend, and his story won the hearts of millions.
This story belongs to Bradley Cho, who shared his entire journey on Instagram. Daily, he posted videos detailing his mission—buying a ring for his girlfriend.
During the day, Bradley worked in the corporate sector. After work, he continued working in food delivery until late. Upon returning home, he edited videos and prepared for the next day. His life for many months was like this: he went to sleep around 2 AM and started work again at 6 AM.
During these eight months, he had to face many difficulties. He was sick for two weeks. Moreover, his boss saw his videos on social media, which jeopardized his job. Nevertheless, he did not give up on his goal.
After constant effort, Bradley managed to save $6,500 (which is about 600 thousand rupees). He then ordered a custom ring with a lab-grown sapphire for his girlfriend. The ring included both of their birthstones to make it a special memory of their relationship.
The ring designer also highly praised Bradley, noting that what touched him was not so much the pendant itself, but how much love and effort he put into every small detail for his girlfriend.
After Bradley's story went viral, thousands of people congratulated him. Many users wrote that this was not just a story about a ring, but an example of hard work, selflessness, and true love. Some people even urged him to post a proposal video.
This story touches people so deeply because it focuses more on the effort of a person who fought continuously for eight months for his beloved's happiness than on the expensive pendant itself.
