Image: Supplied

A year after its launch, the Banking Lawyers’ Alliance of South Africa has released a book titled, Contemporary Banking & Finance Law.

The alliance, also known as the BLASA, was co-founded by Prof Vivienne Lawack, the acting director of the newly formed Centre for African Fintech, Innovation and Law at the University of the Western Cape. 

BLASA was co-founded with Prof Michelle Kelly-Louw, Head of the Department of  Commercial Law at the University of Cape Town (UCT), who opened the 2025 Banking and Finance Law Colloquium where the book launch took place.

The book is an in-depth analysis of the contemporary banking and law field while contributing to the foundation of the forum’s scholarly work and collaborative effort between emerging researchers, industry experts and academics. Published by Juta, it consists of 18 chapters, ranging from Consumer Credit Insurance in South Africa: Consumer-Friendly or Unnecessary Burden?, to South Africa’s Controversial Relationship With Russia: Exploring the Risks of the United States’ Targeted Financial Sanctions for South African Banks. 

Prof Kelly-Louw said the future of banking and finance relies on strong collaboration between academics, practitioners and regulators: “We cannot grow this field without those collaborations. And, we can only achieve this by working together to equip the next generation. This is the whole focus of the book, but also of BLASA moving forward. We want to share the skills, the knowledge, and the ethical grounding as we navigate the rapidly evolving financial landscape.”

Prof Lawack joked that her experience has earned her the nickname ‘Ouma Fintech’.   

“I've been told at UJ (University of Johannesburg) that I'm Ouma Fintech and financial inclusion. This is because we're now delivering the next generation of scholars. Our PhDs are delivering PhDs. And so that makes me the Ouma,” said Prof Lawack.

Contemporary Banking & Finance Law is published by Juta. Image: Supplied

This book is a valuable resource for those studying how law and regulation respond to digital finance, banking and innovation across the sector.

Prof Kelly-Louw and Prof Lawack confirmed that BLASA will consider future projects that include further research and collaborations.

The book launch took place at the 2025 Banking and Finance Law Colloquium at UCT, and was co-hosted with UWC. Sindiswa Makhubalo, Head of Banks and Payment Providers Supervision at the Financial Sector Conduct Authority, and Nthupang Magolego, Executive Senior Legal Advisor at the National Credit Regulator, delivered the keynote addresses. 

The event was well attended in person and online, with Juta as a proud sponsor, and the book is available to purchase HERE.