Pepper gets a foothold in China 11 May 2015 3:26PM John Kavanagh Mortgage lender Pepper Australia has purchased a 12 per cent stake in PrimeCredit Ltd and Shenzhen Prime Credit Ltd, consumer finance lenders operating in the Hong Kong and southern China markets.Pepper invested with a consortium that includes China Travel Financial Holdings and York Capital Management Global Advisors. Standard Chartered was the seller.The companies have 541 staff in Hong Kong and 118 in Shenzhen and manage total assets of US$1.1 billion.Pepper also owns a mutual savings bank in South Korea, which originates residential mortgages and personal loans through a retail branch network.