Zeam is a digital money platform designed for African users, offering a secure and low-cost way to manage finances. From saving and sending money to swapping currencies and shopping, Zeam provides a seamless financial experience. Launched in 2024 by Paytec Group, the company has quickly expanded into key markets like Zimbabwe and Malawi. With headquarters in the UK and South Africa and a growing team of over 40 professionals, Zeam now serves more than 42,000 registered users, solidifying its position as a trusted fintech provider.

The Challenge

Zeam set out to deliver a fast, secure, and cost-effective digital money experience from its establishment—meaning traditional manual verification wasn’t an option. The company needed an onboarding process that could keep pace with real-time transactions while maintaining strong security and affordability. To achieve this, Zeam integrated Sumsub from day one, ensuring:

• Frictionless onboarding that aligns with Zeam’s real-time “Swap & Send” services;
• Scalable automation, eliminating manual verification bottlenecks and keeping transactions low-cost;
• Robust fraud prevention, establishing trust and security for users across African markets;
• Seamless customer experience, delivering the speed and efficiency customers expect.

Natia Zurashvili-Vasicek

Head of Compliance & Operations at Paytec

This strategic decision to implement Sumsub from launch reinforces our mission to offer the fastest, cheapest, and most secure digital money management solution in Africa.

Why Sumsub?

Sumsub stood out for its ability to combine automation, compliance, and fraud detection in one platform. Its AI-powered identity verification ensured instant user onboarding without delays, complementing Zeam’s “Swap & Send” transactions. Beyond speed, Sumsub’s robust compliance infrastructure allowed Zeam to maintain regulatory confidence as it expanded across multiple African markets. The flexibility of Sumsub’s architecture also ensured Zeam could scale its verification processes without increasing costs, helping the company maintain its competitive advantage in providing low-cost digital financial services.

The Solution

Zeam uses the following Sumsub’s products: 

1. ID Verification confirms the authenticity of government-issued identity documents, preventing fraudulent sign-ups.
2. Liveness & Face Match ensures the user is real and prevents identity spoofing or deepfake fraud attempts.
3. AML Screening & Ongoing Monitoring identifies high-risk users by checking global sanctions lists, politically exposed persons (PEP) databases, and adverse media.
4. Customizable Workflow adapts compliance requirements to fit the regulations of each African market Zeam serves.
5. Non-Doc (South Africa) seamlessly verifies users without traditional ID documents.

Implementation

The implementation, which included testing and customization for different user segments, was completed in two sprints, from API key generation to production launch. Additionally, Zeam noticed:

• Zero-Downtime Rollout: A staged approach ensured that Sumsub’s verification system was deployed without service interruptions, reinforcing Zeam’s commitment to reliability and security.
• Smooth API Integration: Sumsub’s clear documentation and responsive support enabled Zeam’s engineering team to implement the full verification suite quickly.

The Results

Since integrating Sumsub, Zeam has streamlined its onboarding process, achieving a 95%+ first-attempt pass rate and reducing verification time to under 6 seconds for 90% of users. This efficiency has supported rapid growth while maintaining top-tier security and compliance.

Automated verification has also cut operational costs by 75%, allowing Zeam to focus on customer engagement and service expansion. Meanwhile, Sumsub’s fraud prevention capabilities have strengthened risk management, reducing synthetic identity fraud while keeping false positives low.

Natia Zurashvili-Vasicek

Head of Compliance & Operations at Paytec

With Sumsub, 90% of our users complete verification in under 6 seconds. This speed and efficiency allow us to scale rapidly across African markets while ensuring security and compliance remain top priorities.

Future Plans

Zeam plans to expand its financial services and strengthen its presence in key African markets such as Zimbabwe. With Sumsub as a trusted verification partner, Zeam aims to enhance its fraud prevention capabilities and further optimize user verification to keep pace with rising demand.

Natia Zurashvili-Vasicek

Head of Compliance & Operations at Paytec

By staying ahead of regulatory requirements and user expectations, we’re set to continue transforming digital money management in Africa, always staying true to our brand promise: safe, affordable, and fast financial services that put users in control.