South African Billionaire Koos Bekker’s Prosus bets $100 million on India’s Navi

Prosus N.V., an Amsterdam-based global internet group and a subsidiary of  Naspers Limited, led by South African billionaire Koos Bekker, plans to invest R1.6 billion ($100 million) in Indian financial-technology company Navi.

The deal will mark Navi’s first institutional capital raise and is subject to customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals, including clearance from India’s Competition Commission, the company said.

Founded in 2018 by Flipkart co-founder Sachin Bansal and Ankit Agarwal, Bengaluru-based Navi operates a digital financial services platform offering cash and home loans, UPI payments, mutual funds and health insurance.

Navi’s UPI app ranked as India’s fourth-largest during the fiscal year ended March, while Navi Finserv’s assets under management exceeded 130 billion rupees.

Prosus expands its global technology portfolio

The investment adds to Prosus’ growing exposure to digital finance as the company expands across food delivery, payments, classifieds, travel, events and mobility.

Its integrated technology ecosystem is designed to increase user engagement while creating opportunities for artificial intelligence through proprietary data and cross-service intelligence. 

Under Bekker’s leadership, Prosus has developed into a diversified global technology investor with interests spanning fintech, e-commerce and education technology.

Bekker, one of South Africa’s most prominent technology investors, has a net worth of about $3.4 billion and has positioned Prosus as a major player in global digital commerce, including Europe’s highly competitive food-delivery market.

Earnings growth adds to Prosus investment case

Prosus recently forecast a strong increase in full-year earnings, supported by steady performance across its online businesses and continued gains from its stake in Chinese technology giant Tencent.

In a voluntary trading update, Prosus said core headline earnings per share from continuing operations are expected to rise between 19% and 28%. Prosus also reported a 57% increase in full-year ecosystem revenue to $9.7 billion for the financial year ended March 31, 2026.

The Navi investment gives Prosus another foothold in India’s rapidly expanding digital economy while broadening its exposure to financial technology beyond its existing global portfolio.