Bridgement Wins Xero South Africa App of the Year Again

In Short

Bridgement has been named App of the Year at the Xero South Africa Awards for the third time.

What Happened

Bridgement won App of the Year at the Xero South Africa Awards on September 22, 2026.

The award recognises apps that work well with Xero, a cloud accounting platform (software that helps businesses track invoices, bank transactions, and reporting online).

The announcement follows Bridgement’s recent R330 million funding round backed by RMB and Standard Bank. The company said the capital will be used to expand its direct lending and improve access to finance for South African small and medium-sized enterprises.

Direct lending means the lender provides credit straight to the business, instead of relying on another bank or intermediary to originate the loan.

Why It Matters

For South African SMEs, access to working capital is still a major constraint. That is short-term money used to pay suppliers, cover payroll, or manage cash flow gaps between sales and payments.

A fintech lender that integrates with accounting software can underwrite loans faster, because it can analyse a business’s financial data with permission. Underwriting is the risk check lenders do before approving a loan.

The repeat Xero App of the Year win is also a distribution signal. Xero’s ecosystem is a channel where businesses discover tools for finance, invoicing, and payments, and awards can help an app stand out in a crowded marketplace.

For Bridgement, the timing links product credibility with new balance sheet support. If the R330 million is deployed effectively, it could translate into more loan approvals, larger credit limits, and broader SME coverage across South Africa.

You can find Bridgement on Liners here: Bridgement.