Itumeleng Merafe on Investec’s game-changing multicurrency pocket feature

In this What’s Next with Aki Anastasiou interview, Itumeleng Merafe discusses the new Investec multicurrency pockets feature on the institution’s Private Bank Accounts. Merafe is the Head of Private Bank SA at Investec — a position he has held since April 2024. He has worked at Investec for over 18 years in several other impactful roles, too, including Head of Sales: Investec for Business and Head: Treasury Restructuring. Merafe is a 2017 Archbishop Tutu Fellow and holds a BCom in Economics and Investment Management. He has also completed the Finance Executive Development Programme at Cass Business School, holds an ACI dealing certificate, and a Master’s Degree in the Management of Finance and Investments. In this What’s Next interview, Merafe discusses the new multicurrency pockets feature available on Investec Private Bank Accounts. He explains how this feature makes it easier to manage money in different currencies, and unpacks real-world examples of who would find this offering useful. Merafe then discusses how multicurrency pockets challenge the legacy model of needing multiple banks — or third-party apps — to manage different currencies. He also delves deeper into the technologies and innovations that power multicurrency pockets, and how they make switching between currencies so quick and seamless. Merafe talks about the importance of taking banking more digital and international, and explains how multicurrency pockets fit this trend perfectly. He concludes the discussion by explaining how Investec continues to balance cutting-edge technologies with the personal service that clients still value.