Stitch Consumer Research Report: How South Africans Shop in 2026

South African consumers adopting digital payments and online shopping in 2026

New research from Stitch, based on feedback from more than 3,000 South African consumers, highlights how quickly shopping and payment behaviour is evolving across the country. The findings point towards growing comfort with digital payments, increased adoption of alternative payment methods and a continued shift towards online and cross-border commerce. Some of the key findings

Vodacom M-Pesa and PayPal Partner to Expand Access to Global Digital Payments for Tanzanians

New integration enables customers to seamlessly link accounts and transfer funds between PayPal and M‑Pesa wallets through the M‑Pesa Super App Vodacom M‑Pesa Tanzania has announced a new partnership with PayPal that will enable customers in Tanzania to seamlessly transfer funds between their PayPal and M‑Pesa wallets through the M‑Pesa Super App; As part of

OnePipe Captures 65% of Africa’s Second-Largest Aviation Payments Market by Solving the Problem Card Networks Ignored

AUSTIN, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–OnePipe, Nigeria’s leading payments infrastructure company, announced that it now serves over 65% of the domestic Nigerian airlines market, serving 9 of the 14 licensed domestic airlines with the recent addition of Binani Air. “Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest consumer economies, and its passengers overwhelmingly pay by bank transfer. Every airline that

Ozow and Happy Pay Partner to Bring Buy Now, Pay Later to South African Merchants

Ozow, a leading South African fintech and payments provider, has partnered with Happy Pay to introduce Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) to its merchant network. This partnership enables businesses to offer flexible payment options at checkout while maintaining a seamless and secure transaction experience. ‍ As e-commerce continues to grow in South Africa, merchants are

SASSA Grant Beneficiaries Fuel Lesaka Consumer Unit Boom

Fintech group Lesaka’s consumer division, which caters for South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) grant beneficiaries, is continuing to make gains. This emerged when the JSE- and Nasdaq-listed company today published its third quarter results for 2026. At segment level, the consumer division delivered the strongest performance, with revenue rising 41% to R626.5 million and

Moniepoint Acquires Orda Africa to Expand Solutions for Food Service Businesses

We’re excited to announce that Moniepoint has acquired Orda Africa (“Orda”), an end-to-end business management platform for restaurants and food businesses. Orda joins Moniepoint, expanding our solutions for food service businesses. Why we’re doing this Nigeria’s food service industry is one of the fastest-growing sectors in the country. Millions of Nigerians depend on it for

NjiaPay Secures $2.1 Million Seed Funding Led by Newion to Scale Payment Performance Across Africa

NjiaPay, a payment performance partner helping African businesses improve payment reliability and revenue, has closed its seed funding round led by one of Europe’s leading B2B SaaS investors, Newion. The funding follows a year of significant commercial traction in which NjiaPay expanded its merchant base across high-growth startups and established global franchises, including Talk360, Anytime Fitness, and Melon

Yango Partners With Flutterwave To Strengthen Secure Digital Payments For Food Delivery And Taxi Service In Zambia

 Yango, the food delivery  and taxi service powered by global tech company Yango Group, has partnered with leading African payments technology company Flutterwave to further improve the security and convenience of digital payments for customers ordering meals or taxi rides through the platform. The partnership supports Yango’s continued expansion of cashless payment options in Zambia,

Traderoot Announces Strategic Partnership with Halo Dot to Accelerate SoftPOS Adoption

Traderoot has formed a strategic partnership with Halo Dot, who provides certified, secure and modular SoftPOS software that enables merchants to accept contactless payments directly on mobile devices. Together, the companies aim to make secure, mobile-first SoftPOS payments more widely available. Android smartphones become secure payment terminals The partnership integrates Halo Dot’s PCI MPoC-certified SDK

Cross Switch Goes Live in South Africa with NjiaPay Partnership, Expanding Payment Options for Merchants

Cross Switch, a leading provider of innovative payment solutions, today announced its partnership with NjiaPay, a payment performance partner that unifies payment infrastructure and improves reliability for emerging businesses in Africa. Working together, Cross Switch and NijaPay now give businesses easier access to both local and international payment capabilities while simplifying how they manage payments.

BoxCommerce and Mastercard Launch Prepaid Card Program to Give SMEs Direct, Instant Access to Their Earnings

BoxCommerce and Mastercard have collaborated to launch a prepaid Mastercard solution that gives small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on the BoxCommerce platform fast, secure and direct access to their earnings. This innovation transforms BoxCommerce from a pure eCommerce enabler into a fintech partner for entrepreneurs, bridging the gap between selling online and accessing digital finance.

Altron FinTech Expands Kasi Sales Squad to Ekurhuleni and Johannesburg CBD

Bringing enterprise payment solutions to township entrepreneurs. Youth-led initiative digitises township commerce through DebiCheck, offline POS, and secure disbursements, creating jobs while advancing financial inclusion. Altron FinTech announced the expansion of its Kasi Sales Squad initiative from Soweto into Ekurhuleni and the Johannesburg CBD, scaling a proven model that brings enterprise-grade payment infrastructure directly to

Co-Operative Banking: A Catalyst for Inclusive Growth in South Africa

As South Africa’s payments landscape evolves, integrating informal and co-operative banking institutions into the formal financial system remains a critical barrier to inclusive economic growth. MoData, a payments technology enabler with deep roots in cash and digital payments infrastructure, offers scalable solutions, strategic consulting and ecosystem engagement, which can help bring key stakeholders like co-operative

SPAYZ.io to Roll Out Payment Solutions in Key African Markets

SPAYZ.io, a leading provider of innovative payment solutions, is entering three new African markets – South Africa, Egypt and Cameroon. The move is part of fintech’s ongoing vision to transform digital commerce in Africa’s emerging markets by offering tailored local payment solutions. ‍ SPAYZ.io has been actively assessing countries in the region as part of

Cross Switch at Seamless Africa 2025, Orchestrating Growth in Payments

Originally published by Cross Switch here: https://cross-switch.com/cross-switch-at-seamless-africa-2025-orchestrating-growth-in-payments/  Seamless Southern Africa 2025, held in Johannesburg, brought together over 6,000 professionals from the banking, fintech, retail, and e-commerce sectors. The energy in the air confirmed the feeling that Africa isn’t just following global digital commerce trends, but is moving ahead at its own lively pace, showing that

Shoprite Group Expands Rewards Ecosystem with Absa Rewards

The Shoprite Group has been added to Absa’s Rewards programme to bring additional rewards to even more South African shoppers. During the launch phase from 16 August 2025, Absa Rewards members who pay with qualifying debit or credit cards will earn up to 60% cash back when shopping at Shoprite, Checkers, Checkers Hyper, LiquorShop, or

Pick n Pay Expands SA’s Largest Retail Banking Network with Capitec

From FNB to Absa, TymeBank to Standard Bank, and now Capitec, Pick n Pay continues to unite South Africa’s leading banks under one roof, giving customers unmatched convenience when managing their money while they shop. With the addition of Capitec cash deposits at Pick n Pay tills, now empowers all banked customers to deposit cash,

Boodil and Transaction Junction Partner to Strengthen E-commerce Payments in SA and SSA

Boodil, a UK-based innovator in payments technology specialising in e-commerce and open banking, has entered into a strategic partnership with Transaction Junction, a prominent South African provider of omni-channel transaction solutions. The collaboration aims to deliver advanced payment experiences to Shopify e-commerce merchants across South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa, introducing a secure, streamlined, and flexible

Cross Switch Launches New Identity to Power Payments Across Emerging Markets

This article was originally published on the Cross Switch website here. Cross Switch, a global payment orchestration platform built for the unique needs of emerging markets, has unveiled a refreshed brand and newly redesigned website that reflect its continued growth and expanding presence across Africa and other high-growth regions. This announcement builds on recent momentum, including

Jumia Launches BNPL in Algeria, Partnership with Diar Dzair

Jumia, Africa’s leading e-commerce platform, has teamed up with Algerian finance provider Diar Dzair to roll out Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services for customers across Algeria. This strategic collaboration is designed to make online shopping even more accessible, offering shoppers the flexibility to split their payments while encouraging greater use of digital financial services.

Cross Switch and Paysoft Team Up to Drive Smarter, Scalable Payments for South African Businesses

Cross Switch, a global payments technology company, has found a strategic collaborator in its mission to bring faster, smarter, and more scalable payments to emerging markets. In partnership with South African fintech leader Paysoft, these two forward-thinking platforms are joining forces to swing the axe against digital transaction logjams that hamper South African businesses. Be

How Mobile Point-of-Sale is Driving South Africa’s Retail Resurgence

While the economic landscape has been anything but stable, with international trade tensions and the national budget fallout spooking the market before rebounding when the VAT increase was later withdrawn, the retail sector is showing remarkable resilience, says Ecentric Payment Systems’ Rory Bosman, adding that many retailers proved at the end of last year that

Cross Switch and Pesawise Unite to Power Seamless Retail Payments in Kenya

Cross Switch, a provider of class-leading payment solutions, has strengthened its African presence by officially launching services in Kenya and partnering with licensed local payment provider Pesawise. This collaboration makes the most of Pesawise’s solid regulatory standing and trusted reputation, allowing Cross Switch to establish it’s footprint and, together with Pesawise, immediately deliver robust payment

Cross Switch Expands Merchant Services with SA Payment Licence

This article was originally published here. Cross Switch, a leading provider of innovative payment solutions, has reached a significant milestone by securing its own Third-Party Payment Processor (TPPP) licence. The TPPP, issued by the Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) and sponsored by Absa, is a regulatory status that strengthens Cross Switch’s position in the

Empowering retail innovation: TANGO redefines payment experiences

This article was originally published here. Innovative payment solution TANGO is set to revolutionise the modern payment environment in the South African retail space, reports MoData. Darren Turnbull, CEO of MoData, says: “At major industry events we attend, such as the 2025 Absa Commercial Payments Summit and BankservAfrica Payments Conference 2025, we see a growing

iKhokha Elevate: Introducing a New Operating System Built for SMEs

iKhokha, the fintech company dedicated to fostering growth for South African small businesses amid challenging macroeconomic conditions, hosted its first iKhokha Elevate event in Durban on Wednesday, 12 March. The event, which saw hundreds of merchants attending in person and thousands more joining online, centered around discussing the challenges and successes of small businesses. It

AliExpress Elevates Online Shopping in Africa with More Local Payment Options

AliExpress, an international online retail marketplace, announced today a significant expansion in its payment options for shoppers across Africa to elevate online shopping in the continent. This initiative follows AliExpress’ introduction of various local mobile payment methods last year, which was welcomed by consumers seeking better access to global products. Starting this March, AliExpress has

Shoprite & Standard Bank Partner to Boost Customer Rewards

Africa’s biggest bank and Africa’s biggest retailer have teamed up to offer customers Africa’s biggest grocery rewards. This comes as the Shoprite Group doubles down on transparent partnerships that offer shoppers real value.  From April 2025, qualifying Standard Bank UCount Rewards members will receive the following benefits on every product, every day:  The Standard Bank

FNB Expands Partnership With Pick n Pay, Naming It as eBucks’ Primary Retail Partner

FNB and Pick n Pay are proud to announce the expansion of their partnership to add more value for all their FNB and RMB Private Bank’s customers. The bank’s retail and commercial customers will all earn up to 30% of their spend back in eBucks when using Pick n Pay’s asap! on-demand delivery service, and up

Touchsides Rebranded as Kazang Insights Following Lesaka Acquisition

Kazang Insights provides analytical and predictive solutions that empower FMCG firms, wholesalers and other companies to thrive in South Africa’s informal market. Leading data analytics, insights and merchant services company, Touchsides, is rebranding as Kazang Insights and integrating into Kazang—the prepaid value-added services (VAS) and card acquiring business within JSE-listed fintech Lesaka Technologies. Integration of

Sevi Set to Revolutionize African Retail Financing with ‘Stock Now, Pay Later’ Platform

Sevi, a fintech company regulated by the Central Bank of Kenya, is revolutionizing stock financing for wholesalers and retailers through its “stock now, pay later” platform. Sevi addresses the challenge of insufficient working capital by providing users with access to credit while ensuring suppliers are paid upfront. With Sevi, suppliers like Coca-Cola, Anytime and Philmed

Oracle Supercharges Retail Operations with New POS

Enabling retailers to energize their operations and in-store engagement, Oracle today unveiled the latest version of Xstore Point of Service. The cloud application has been redesigned on a new architecture and features an intuitive user interface and workflows that fuel efficiency and support connected retail journeys for retailers of all sizes. With it, associates can

Apaya and Telr Join Forces to Boost E-commerce Ecosystem in MENA

Apaya

Apaya, a commerce automation platform, entered into a strategic partnership with MENA’s online payment gateway Telr to accelerate digital commerce growth in the region. The collaboration will allow merchants to instantly access Telr’s payment services through Apaya’s no-code platform, according to a press release. They will also leverage Telr’s anti-fraud engine alongside Apaya’s intelligent routing

Lesaka Technologies: How Fintech Bridges Gaps for Township Merchants

Lesaka Technologies

Lesaka Technologies highlights that merchants in South Africa’s cash-driven township and rural economy remain underserved by mainstream financial services. This gap creates a significant opportunity for fintech companies to develop solutions addressing these merchants’ specific pain points, enabling them to serve their customers more efficiently and effectively. Lincoln Mali, CEO of Lesaka Technologies, emphasised this

Float: Credit Card Holders in South Africa Reveal Shopping Trends

Float

Float, Africa’s first card-linked instalment platform has unveiled the latest shopping trends among credit card holders using its payment method. With an impressive average order value of close to R10,000, order values through the platform significantly exceeds those of the regular buy now pay later model, which typically ranges between R1,000 and R1,400. The latest

Telr Elevates E-commerce With Mastercard’s Click to Pay

Telr, the award-winning online payment gateway, has announced its strategic collaboration with Mastercard to introduce its digital checkout solution, Click to Pay, across its extensive network of merchants in the UAE. Through this partnership, Telr will deploy cutting-edge payment technologies to enhance the customer experience. Click to Pay is an innovative, seamless, and secure payment

Paymob and Shopify Join Forces to Accelerate Embedded Payments Opportunity in MENA

Paymob, a prominent financial services enabler in the MENA region, has announced the launch of its new embedded checkout experiences for merchants, marking a significant extension of its partnership with the commerce platform Shopify. This new initiative is set to revolutionise the way merchants handle transactions, providing them with advanced card and wallet payment options

Braintree Adds Human Touch and Tech Expertise Into E-commerce

Backed by 20 years of tech expertise, leading IT solutions provider Braintree has seen their retail turnover increase by 1,200% since launching their e-commerce offering two years ago. With the objective of supporting business professionals in both home and office environments, Braintree brings to the tech e-commerce market over 3 000 premium products across 30

South African Travel Fintech TurnStay Secures Funding for Regional Expansion From DCG, DFS Lab

The South African fintech startup Turnstay recently secured $300,000 (over ZAR 5.4 million) in investment from two US-based venture capital firms: DFS Lab and Digital Currency Group (DCG). The company plans to use this funding to expand its operations across Africa and strengthen its position in the local market. According to a report, Turnstay, co-founded

POS Versus POS: Selecting the Right Solution Is Far More Complex Than Chasing the Cheapest – redPanda Software

By Peter Ludi, Business Development Executive at redPanda Software A point of sale, commonly referred to as POS, is a vital cornerstone of any retail business, regardless of whether it sells products or services. However, a misunderstanding of the definition of POS sees many small and medium-sized retailers fall into the trap of buying a

Shift to Omnichannel Payments in Retail to Drive Efficiencies and Enhance CX – Ecentric Payment Systems

By Quintin van der Linde, Head of Business Development & Don Lange, Partner Manager at Ecentric Payment Systems Even as more retailers turn to setting up online storefronts to extend their presence and cater to shoppers looking for convenience, the majority of South Africans still prefer to shop at physical stores, and retailers are looking

Shipping Technology Tackling South Africa’s Tricky Last-Mile Delivery Challenges – Bob Group

Bob Group’s Ship Logic platform is helping the country’s courier companies overcome faulty address details, failed delivery attempts and poor communication with customers South African ecommerce ecosystem Bob Group is playing a leading role in optimising courier services around the country through its Ship Logic platform, a software solution that enables delivery specialists handling high

Growing E-commerce Market: Good for Consumers; But Will Proudly South African Brands Rise? – BCG

By Thomas Kingombe, Managing Director and Partner and Vishakha Chopra, Project Leader, BCG Johannesburg As global e-commerce giants like Amazon, Shein and Temu set their sights on South Africa’s growing e-commerce space, local retailers may find themselves feeling the pinch. Will South African stalwarts rise to the challenge, or crumble faced with international competition? Although

InstaPay Launches in South Africa: An Innovative Merchant Payment Application

InstaPay, a cutting-edge new merchant application, has been launched to transform the payments landscape in South Africa. This innovative solution offers unique functionality and competitive rates that surpass traditional card providers, setting a new standard in the industry. InstaPay is the result of combined expertise and technology between Omnea and Amber Pay, two industry leaders

From Sustainability to Personalisation – Mid-Year Retail Trends 2024 – Smollan

Reaching any midpoint, whether it’s to catch one’s breath on a ultra-marathon to gear up for the next stretch, or a project team reflecting on their progress and making necessary modifications – it’s all about positioning for success. So too a mid-year retail check-in offers valuable insights into some of the latest developments shaping how

Scan to Pay Takes Centre Stage in Spenda’s Fintech Suite

Despite the global move towards digital transacting, 1.4 billion people worldwide remain unbanked. It’s these individuals that payment service providers like Spenda are empowering through the use of innovative payment solutions that address the financial inclusion gap. In its latest move to do so, Spenda has integrated Scan to Pay to launch Spenda Scan to

Payment24 Offers Innovative Fuel Voucher Solutions to Modernise Fleet Management and Loyalty Programmes

Payment24, a leading provider of advanced payment, loyalty, and fuel management solutions, is proud to announce the availability of its fuel voucher offering. This innovative product is set to transform how Payment24 partners incentivise customers, loyalty subscribers, internal teams, and even drivers. With seamless integration across a vast network of over 1,000 service stations, these

How Pioneering Homegrown Platforms Are Still the Go-to Option for a Broad Cross-Section of South African Society – Amazon

With Amazon’s South African operations now up and running, the question on everybody’s lips is what the impact will be on homegrown online shopping platforms. The ecommerce giant has market capitalisation of more than a trillion US dollars, and there are fears it will crush local competitors. What some may not realise, however, is that

Retailer’s Guide on How to Shift From Multichannel to Omnichannel Payment Experiences – Ecentric

By Gary Bowers, Product Manager and Shaun Shehab, Senior Sales Engineer at Ecentric Retailers need to keep costs under control and reduce complexity in economic conditions that can best be described as uncertain and challenging. Yet, despite this, they need to give customers (and their employees) the kind of payment experience they demand. Beyond this,

A Fintech First – IKhokha Opens Retail Stores to Enhance Engagement With Merchants

Fintech company, iKhokha, one of the market leaders in the South African SME payments space, are this week opening their eighth retail store, where their point-of-sale devices are sold and where merchants can access support, networking opportunities and other business enhancement tools. Since launching in 2012, iKhokha has developed a deep understanding about the complexities