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Metlabs - Blockchain Development Company
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We are your blockchain development company in South Africa

We build blockchain products for companies in South Africa with our in-house team, and from the design stage we separate the FSCA's FAIS licence from the FIC's obligations on every transfer.

Tell us about your project
Blockchain development in South Africa: dotted globe with the country marked by its flag

Blockchain development in South Africa, from idea to production

We turn your use case into a product that can be launched, operated and extended. The same team designs the architecture, writes the contracts and integrates them with your systems.

Tell us what you want to build

  1. The South African framework, from the architecture

    Before choosing a network we separate the asset from the services: a FAIS licence covers advice or intermediation, but it does not approve an issuance. And every transfer has to carry the originator and beneficiary data required by the FIC's Directive 9.

  2. Smart contracts ready for review

    We build your business logic with tests and peer review. The code is prepared for an external audit and a progressive deployment before it goes into production.

  3. In your language and on your time

    You work in English, or in Spanish if your team prefers, with the people who design and write the code. Meetings go wherever they best fit your working day, and the rest runs through shared documentation and a stable technical channel.

  4. A foundation that can keep evolving

    We document the code and plan deployments and monitoring. Your team gets a technical foundation for maintaining the product and adding new features.

Services

Blockchain development services in South Africa

We cover the full Web3 product lifecycle, from idea and MVP through to mainnet, audits and maintenance.

Use cases

Blockchain use cases in South Africa

South Africa already seals every bottle of certified wine, inspects its perishables before export and requires a register of every precious metal transaction; these cases build on that.

  • Oak barrels in a Stellenbosch winery with vineyards and mountains behind, certified wine of origin with blockchain in South Africa

    Certified wine of origin

    Every bottle certified by the Wine Certification Authority carries a seal with identification numbers that backs the origin, cultivar and vintage on the label.

    Blockchain for Agribusiness
  • Pallets of orange cartons in a packhouse with an inspector seen from behind, citrus exports with blockchain in South Africa

    Citrus for export

    Since 1991, the PPECB has inspected perishable products bound for export under a government mandate; approved produce carries the “passed for export” stamp.

    Blockchain for Supply Chain & Logistics
  • Freshly cast platinum ingots on a steel table in a refinery, platinum register with blockchain in South Africa

    Platinum register

    The Precious Metals Act requires refiners, producers and dealers to record every transaction in unwrought precious metal and submit that register to the regulator each quarter.

    Blockchain for Legaltech & Compliance
  • Pale Art Deco apartment building on a Durban street, tokenized property investment with blockchain in South Africa

    Tokenized property investment

    The FAIS declaration regulates services, not title: the token gives a claim against the issuer, and transferring it does not by itself transfer registered ownership of the property.

    Blockchain for Real Estate

Technologies we build blockchain with in South Africa

Our stack covers every layer of your product: smart contracts, blockchain networks and integration with your systems. We use it to build, test and deploy software tailored to your business.

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Houses of Parliament of South Africa in Cape Town
Houses of Parliament of South Africa in Cape Town
South Africa: FSCA · FIC

Blockchain regulatory framework in South Africa

Since the declaration of 19 October 2022, crypto assets are financial products for the purposes of the FAIS Act: advising on or intermediating them as a business requires FSCA authorisation. The FIC applies anti-money laundering rules and, since 30 April 2025, the travel rule in its Directive 9; the SARB is involved in payments and cross-border flows, and SARS collects tax information under the CARF framework. A provider's licence does not by itself approve a securities issuance.

See blockchain regulation in South Africa
South African framework

Milestones enabling blockchain in South Africa

The dates that set which services need a licence and which data travels with each transfer in South Africa. Each milestone links to its source.

See the regulation guide for South Africa

  1. FAIS financial-product declaration

    Declaration 1350 takes effect on publication.

    Declaration 1350 published on 19 October

  2. Directive 9 applies

    Travel Rule obligations apply to in-scope transfers.

    FIC: Directive 9 implementation advisory

  3. Final PCC 61 guidance

    FIC publishes guidance on applying Directive 9.

    PCC 61 publication date
Reviews in South Africa

What do our clients think of Metlabs?

“One of the pioneering firms in web3 solutions, digital assets and tokenization, recognized for its innovation and solid reputation across Spain and Latin America.”

Jorge Corredor
Jorge CorredorLawyer, Rincón Cuéllar & Asociados

“We structured the tokenization of real estate projects with them, and I value the team's ability to understand our corporate needs and genuinely solve them.”

Joan MejíaManager, GLOBYNE

“They advised us on the feasibility of tokenizing real estate assets in Uruguay with direct, cordial treatment. A professional team, responsive and always available.”

Álvaro Silva Santamaría
Álvaro Silva SantamaríaCEO, Sp Inmuebles

“Great professionals at structuring tokenized projects, with technical command and attention to detail that inspire full confidence at every stage of the work.”

Francisco BetancourtVerified Google review

“As a blockchain lawyer, I value their experience and professionalism in consulting and executing tokenization projects. Technology partners you can fully trust.”

Vanessa Rivas
Vanessa RivasBlockchain lawyer, El Salvador

“Great professionals, very attentive to their clients and always mindful of every detail. Working with their team has been a genuine pleasure from start to finish.”

CriptorentVerified Google review

“A very professional yet approachable company that empathizes with your doubts and needs. Highly recommended for entrepreneurs with a tokenization project.”

Javier Espasa
Javier EspasaTokenization entrepreneur

“Exceptional in every sense. From legal support I value their rigor and transparency: working with Metlabs means professionalism, innovation and security.”

Pedro A. Agúndez Méndez
Pedro A. Agúndez MéndezGoogle Local Guide

“Excellent service across blockchain development, asset tokenization and consulting. A very professional team that I recommend wholeheartedly, without reservation.”

José Luis DíazVerified Google review

“I have worked with them on several projects and they are very professional. A guarantee that everything turns out perfectly. Without a doubt, 100% recommended.”

Ignacio Fernández Jiménez
Ignacio Fernández JiménezVerified Google review
Google Reviews
Sortlist
Security

Security in blockchain development in South Africa

Every delivery goes through the same checklist before it reaches mainnet. What changes between projects is the depth of each control, because an MVP does not carry the same risk as a contract that holds third-party funds.

Before mainnet

  • Roles and permissions defined for every critical function
  • Unit and invariant tests, and fuzzing on the logic that moves value
  • Static analysis and peer review of every change
  • Multisig and timelock on administration when the risk justifies it
  • Custody and rotation of the deployment keys agreed
  • External audit when the value at risk requires it

We work with leading audit firms

  • CertiK - Audit firm logo
  • Hacken - Audit firm logo
  • OpenZeppelin - Audit firm logo
  • Trail of Bits - Audit firm logo
FAQ

Frequently asked questions about blockchain development in South Africa

What we are asked before a project starts.

Talk to our team

  1. Which regulations apply to a blockchain project in South Africa?

    It depends on the services and the instrument. If you advise on or intermediate crypto assets as a business, you need FSP authorisation from the FSCA for those specific services; you also apply the FIC's anti-money laundering controls, including the data that travels with each transfer, and CARF reporting to SARS. If the token is a security or there are international flows, additional permissions come in. We analyse the fit of your case before writing any code.

  2. Do you work with both startups and established companies?

    Yes. We support startups from MVP validation to a product they can present in a funding round, and established companies on tokenization, traceability and digital identity projects with strict compliance requirements. Smart contracts go through tests and review before they reach mainnet in every case.

  3. How do you work with South African companies?

    In English, or in Spanish if your team prefers, and in direct contact with the people who design and build the product. Meetings are set within your business hours, and the rest moves forward through shared documentation, written decisions and a stable technical channel.

  4. How long does blockchain development take?

    It is set by product complexity, integrations and the level of review required. Before development we define scope, dependencies and deliverables for each phase, so you can decide what reaches production first and what waits for a second iteration, without treating an MVP as a complete architecture.

  5. Which blockchain network is right for my project?

    We do not choose it because it is trending. For EVM projects we assess Ethereum, Polygon, Arbitrum or Base on finality, costs, tooling, interoperability, custody and compliance, and we consider non-EVM networks when they fit better. The recommendation covers contracts, indexing, wallets and operations, and starts from the product requirements and its users.

Let's build the rails for your project in South Africa

Tell us about your case and we'll propose architecture, timeline and budget within a week.

Talk to our blockchain team

Where we work in South Africa

We work remotely with teams throughout the country, and on site where the project calls for it.

Territorial coverage

  • Eastern Cape
  • Free State
  • Gauteng
  • KwaZulu-Natal
  • Limpopo
  • Mpumalanga
  • North West
  • Northern Cape
  • Western Cape
Where we are

Blockchain development in South Africa and worldwide

Dotted globe showing the Metlabs headquarters in A Coruña and its presence in Andorra
Proa building in A Coruña, headquarters of Metlabs, a blockchain development and tokenization company

Metlabs Offices

Av. García Sabell, 1, Edificio Proa 15009 A Coruña, Spain

We are also your blockchain development company in

SpainUnited StatesUAEUnited KingdomMexicoSingaporeAustraliaSwitzerlandColombiaArgentinaChilePeruPortugalGermanyHong KongBrazilEcuadorFranceIndiaPanamaAndorraAustriaBahrainBelgiumBoliviaCanadaCosta RicaCubaCyprusCzechiaDenmarkDominican RepublicEl SalvadorEstoniaFinlandGreeceGuatemalaHondurasHungaryIrelandIsraelItalyJapanKuwaitLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMaltaMonacoMoroccoNetherlandsNew ZealandNicaraguaNigeriaNorwayOmanParaguayPolandPuerto RicoQatarRomaniaSan MarinoSaudi ArabiaSeychellesSouth KoreaSwedenTurkeyUruguayVenezuela

As featured in

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