Women Entrepreneurs Lead the way in Digital Presence, According to Mastercard SME Research in Middle East and Africa

Posted on by Initiator | 44904 Views | 18 min read

81% of women entrepreneurs across the Middle East and Africa have a digital business presence according to Mastercard MEA SME Confidence Index Latest research by Mastercard highlights high digitalization among women-owned businesses as opportunity for broader SME recovery and digital economy growth Despite the gender gap and social challenges, entrepreneurial women across the world and

MoData’s Agtech Solutions Boost Growth in Africa’s Agricultural Sector

Posted on by Initiator | 9864 Views | 28 min read

With Africa fast becoming a global leader in the agtech space, MoData’s value propositions offer smart solutions for the sector. Agriculture has always been key to Africa’s economic growth. It accounts for 14 per cent of Africa’s GDP, 52 per cent of the continent’s workforce, and 70 per cent of the population’s livelihoods. New research

MACmobile | Mobile Money is Set to Take South Africa by Storm – is the Trading Environment Ready for the Change?

Posted on by Initiator | 13646 Views | 14 min read

By Jaco Saunders, Commercial Director at MACmobile Mobile money has seen massive uptake in Africa over the last decade, however, South Africa has lagged due to the country’s stringent banking legislation, which has been a significant barrier to entry. However, the potential for mobile money solutions cannot be ignored, and financial institutions are partnering with

PayU Invests in Blockchain-based Payments with CELO and Launches New Stablecoin Option to 450,000 Merchants

Posted on by Initiator | 16266 Views | 14 min read

One of the largest online payment service providers for emerging markets, PayU, has purchased CELO, and will also offer Celo stablecoins as a payment option for merchants, powered by First DAG PayU, the payments and fintech business of Prosus, has announced its collaboration with Celo, the mobile-first, open-source blockchain ecosystem focused on making DeFi accessible

Cellulant Introduces Tingg, a Digital Payments Platform for the Retail Sector in Zambia

Posted on by Initiator | 24797 Views | 12 min read

In an effort to foster growth for both the formal and informal sector in Zambia, Pan-African Payments business Cellulant rolls out Tingg, a digital payments platform enabling businesses and their consumers to accept and make payments seamlessly Payment technology over the years has completely transformed how retailers operate. Thirty years ago, most retailers across Africa

NFC Versus QR Code Payments – There’s Room for Both

Posted on by Initiator | 13224 Views | 18 min read

The last year-and-a-half has seen a rapid rise in all forms of contactless payments. For merchants across the globe, enabling these payments as a means to reduce surface contact has been a pandemic trading necessity. However, as time moves on, choosing which payment options you offer should not be solely based on hygiene, but rather

Zapper Helps Canal Walk Improve Customer Experience, Reduce Cash Requirements

Posted on by Initiator | 11553 Views | 16 min read

In just eight months, contactless payment and loyalty solution, Zapper, has reduced time to exit for parking users by 43% at Cape Town’s busiest mall, Canal Walk. The parking solution has also shown a marked decrease in payment friction as well as reducing the centre’s cash requirements and associated costs. The Zapper system was launched

Stanchion Fast-tracks Banzpay’s Digital Payments Initiatives

Posted on by Initiator | 16132 Views | 10 min read

Banzpay partners with Stanchion to deliver innovative payments solutions to its clients across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Banzpay, a New Zealand-based fintech services provider of payments and banking solutions to financial institutions across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, has partnered with Stanchion Payment Solutions, global specialists in payment solutions and integrations, to

Kenya Among Top Drivers of eCommerce Volumes in Sub-Saharan Africa – Visa

Posted on by Initiator | 19765 Views | 12 min read

A recent report by Visa, the world leader in digital payments, has shown that Kenya is among the top market contributors to eCommerce in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) over the last 3 years. Visa’s white paper, titled eCommerce developments across Sub Saharan Africa (SSA), confirmed that, the Kenyan eCommerce scene has showcased growth, as the market’s financial

Stanchion Launches Comprehensive New Payment Switch Solution SwitchCare

Posted on by Initiator | 15306 Views | 12 min read

Stanchion Payment Solutions, a global specialist in payment solutions and integration, has launched SwitchCare, an innovative and comprehensive offering that ensures the optimal management of Payment Switch environments. The service is aimed at payment processing companies that have transaction switching platforms at the heart of their operational infrastructures. Using best-of-breed tools and drawing off Stanchion’s

3D Secure 2.0 Upgrades the Customer Experience for eCommerce Merchants and Customers

Posted on by Initiator | 10770 Views | 15 min read

Developed more than ten years ago, 3D Secure 1 was welcomed, but not exactly user-friendly, widely adopted and recognised when a pop-up window appeared with ‘Verified by Visa’ (later rebranded as Visa Secure), ‘SecureCode’ from Mastercard of Safekey from Amex. The system was somewhat convoluted, complex and was often plagued by compatibility issues. A protocol

ACI Worldwide Powers Payments Innovation for Pick n Pay

Posted on by Initiator | 7512 Views | 7 min read

Pick n Pay, one of South Africa’s leading retailers, to utilize ACI Omni-Commerce to drive payments modernization as it significantly grows its transaction volumes ACI Worldwide, a leading global provider of real-time digital payment software and solutions, has announced it is extending its partnership with Pick n Pay to drive payments modernization for the South African

Telkom Launches Africa’s First Virtual Card for Transacting on WhatsApp

Posted on by Initiator | 10974 Views | 11 min read

Ukheshe, Mastercard, Nedbank and Telkom collaborate to grow access to the digital economy with virtual product that enables secure e-commerce payments on phone Telkom has launched Africa’s first Mastercard virtual card for use on WhatsApp, enabling Telkom Pay customers to make e-commerce payments. This move is expected to empower millions of South Africans – even

Yoyo Launches Bank Card-linked Loyalty

Posted on by Initiator | 16496 Views | 11 min read

A new era of loyalty for retailers, SMEs, and consumers. South Africa has a well-established retail loyalty scene, with over 70% of consumers belonging to at least one programme – according to Truth & BrandMapp’s annual white paper – but recent numbers show that this is declining year-on-year. Research shows that participants want the rewards

Zapper and Yoyo Integration Indicative of More Collaboration in Payment Space

Posted on by Initiator | 8033 Views | 9 min read

Zapper and Yoyo (previously wiGroup) are working together to broaden interoperability in the QR code space, giving their merchants access to more payment options with a single QR code, ensuring customers can pay quickly and safely with their favourite mobile payment option. This partnership between Zapper and Yoyo is currently available at the Famous Brands’

bp Extends its Partnership with Diebold Nixdorf to Support its Retail Sites and Payment Technology Globally

Posted on by Initiator | 12341 Views | 8 min read

Diebold Nixdorf, a global leader in driving connected commerce for the retail and banking industries, has expanded its strategic partnership with bp to provide an integrated solution comprised of hardware, software and managed services. bp extended its multi-year, managed services agreement with Diebold Nixdorf and will leverage DN AllConnect ServicesSM globally to drive its transformation journey as it

MoData announces Strategic Partnership with Renovite to Provide Cloud-native Payment Solutions

Posted on by Initiator | 6204 Views | 13 min read

Digital and financial solutions specialists, MoData, have partnered with Renovite Technologies to deliver leading-edge cloud-native payment technology solutions to clients in Africa, which will enable them to modernise their core payment system with the convergence of physical and digital channels, providing for a seamless customer experience. The partnership will give banks and retailers in the

Understanding South Africa’s Unique and Evolving Credit Market is Key for Retailers

Posted on by Initiator | 6616 Views | 20 min read

By Allan Dickson, Independent Chairman at redPanda Software As furniture and fashion retailers continue their recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and redouble their efforts to grow their customer base both online and in-store, credit will play an increasingly important role. The emergence and evolution of credit offered by furniture and fashion retailers in South Africa

Adopting EMV 3D Secure Protocol Benefits Entire E-commerce Ecosystem

Posted on by Initiator | 7799 Views | 17 min read

A collaborative effort between merchants, banks and card networks is required if the greater e-commerce landscape is to benefit from faster approval rates, low-risk trading environments, and a better user experience offered by the new EMV 3-D Secure protocol, says authentication specialist, Entersekt. The original release of 3-D Secure by the credit card networks took

Mastercard New Payments Index: Consumer Appetite for Digital Payments Takes Off

Posted on by Initiator | 13162 Views | 27 min read

93% of consumers are considering emerging payments such as biometrics, digital currencies, and QR code, in addition to contactless, according to the Mastercard New Payments Index  Now, nearly 90% of in-person transactions globally take place at a contactless-enabled merchant  As the world went into pandemic lockdown in 2020, consumers shifted their spending habits to embrace

Customers Can Now Pay Small Businesses Via WhatsApp

Posted on by Initiator | 6559 Views | 12 min read

Nedbank, in collaboration with Mastercard and Ukheshe, has launched Money Message, a new payment platform that lets small and microbusinesses conveniently receive secure in-chat payments from their customers via WhatsApp. A first in South Africa, the solution will enable merchants to send an invoice requesting a payment from any customer seamlessly through WhatsApp. Their customers in

Walgreens Announces Further Expansion of its Financial Services Business Strategy with InComm Payments

Posted on by Initiator | 7638 Views | 10 min read

Walgreens to offer new bank account with Mastercard debit card leveraging InComm Payments’ platform InComm Payments to enhance Walgreens-branded gift card program Walgreens has announced an agreement with InComm Payments, a leading global payments technology company, to provide convenient and accessible financial services options for its customers. Together, the companies will launch a new bank account

Game Remains Important Player to Handle Growing Demands for Money Transfers

Posted on by Initiator | 6755 Views | 13 min read

Despite the many digital innovations being made in terms of cross-border payments, retailers still have an important role to play in facilitating the thousands of remittances made from South Africa each year. African retail giant, Game stores, offers cross-border money transfer services from its 120 stores nationally through several providers, including Mukuru, Mama Money, Hello

South Africans Can Now Buy Now and Pay Later (Zero Interest) at Africa’s Largest Digital Mall

Posted on by Initiator | 8074 Views | 9 min read

South Africans can now shop online and pay later, interest-free over six weeks. Payflex has brought the buy now pay later shopping phenomenon to South Africa following its extraordinary popularity in Australia, the USA and Europe. Payflex customers can shop at Africa’s largest digital mall which includes over 500 well-known stores like Cotton-on, Superbalist and

All Shoprite, Checkers & Usave Stores Now Accept Cash Deposits for Major SA Banks

Posted on by Initiator | 6908 Views | 7 min read

Customers can now deposit cash directly onto their bank card at the till point in any Shoprite, Checkers or Usave store. Together with other established in-store services like cash withdrawals, money transfers, and bill payments, this new functionality means shoppers can now perform most basic banking tasks at all supermarkets within the Shoprite Group. Cash

Mastercard and MTN Empower Millions of Consumers in Africa to Make Payments on Global Platforms

Posted on by Initiator | 7570 Views | 16 min read

Partnership will enable millions of MTN customers to pay on global online platforms with a Mastercard virtual payment solution linked to MTN MoMo wallet Mastercard’s technology will enable new digital commerce opportunities for consumers and merchants with or without a bank account, through a simple and secure payment experience Collaboration underpins a new wave of

72% of Tanzanian Consumers are Spending More Money Online Since the Start of Pandemic, Reveals Mastercard Study

Posted on by Initiator | 18069 Views | 14 min read

Data top-up (76%), clothing (59%) and computer equipment (49%) top the virtual shopping list in Tanzania Top learning experiences include learning a managing their banking needs online, managing their healthcare needs and getting their medicine online. Social media has become an integral platform for connecting consumers to online businesses Secure checkout experience recognized as fundamental

79% of Kenyan Consumers are Shopping More Online Since the Start of Pandemic, Reveals Mastercard Study

Posted on by Initiator | 17833 Views | 14 min read

Data top-ups (92%), clothing (67%) and computer equipment (56%) top the virtual shopping list in Kenya Top learning experiences include cooking, dancing, learning a language, and mastering DIY projects Social media has become an integral platform for connecting consumers to online businesses Secure checkout experience recognized as fundamental for online shopping A Mastercard study on consumer

RBR | Modern Point-of-Sale Software Helps Retailers Enhance In-store Shopping Experience

Posted on by Initiator | 6063 Views | 10 min read

Latest research finds a wide range of retailers have migrated to new POS solutions, while others are leveraging existing software to enable diverse customer journeys. COVID-19 has made a flexible, unified commerce approach vital The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated an already pressing need for the largest retailers to be more agile and offer customers the

Zapper | High-value Vs Low-value Payments – Making Checkouts Count

Posted on by Initiator | 8263 Views | 17 min read

Getting customer insight and loyalty from each and every transaction The pandemic has shocked local businesses into action when it comes to transitioning from offline to online. While many have managed to digitise aspects of their business, brick-and-mortar companies are yet to fully realise the customer insight and retention benefits of ecommerce transactions. “So many

PayFast Launches New Funding Service in Partnership with Retail Capital

Posted on by Initiator | 6330 Views | 8 min read

Online payment gateway, PayFast has launched a new merchant-financing service in partnership with local fintech lender, Retail Capital, called Easy Advance. The service is designed to help merchants leverage short-term working capital to grow their business, without compromising their cash flow. “Small businesses are generally more agile and quick to adopt creative strategies. Throughout 2020,

Mastercard, Unilever and KCB Bank Strengthen Partnership to Support Micro-retailers in Kenya

Posted on by Initiator | 15726 Views | 12 min read

Micro-retailers to receive $150,000 worth of financial support, free health products and training, to ease the economic impact of the pandemic. Mastercard, Unilever and KCB Bank have built on their partnership to support micro-merchants in Kenya by expanding their current Jaza Duka program to provide an extensive COVID-19 relief package to retailers. Micro, small and

Malawi’s NBS Bank Launches Ecommerce Platform and Online Payment Gateway with Network International

Posted on by Initiator | 7073 Views | 11 min read

Enables bank to expand its offering to power digital payment acceptance among SMEs, large corporations, public institutions and individuals NBS Bank, a leading commercial bank in Malawi, launches its state of the art e-commerce platform, powered by Network International (www.Network.ae), the leading enabler of digital commerce across Africa and the Middle East. The implementation of

PayCentral and Mastercard Enable Small Businesses to Go Digital and Pay Employees with Virtual Cards, Tapping into the Booming Digital Economy

Posted on by Initiator | 7595 Views | 13 min read

PayCentral, a digital payment fintech, has partnered with Mastercard to launch DigiCentral, a secure online platform that provides small business owners with a simple, quick and cost-effective way of paying out incentives, rewards, gifting, corporate expenses and even salaries to their employees through a prepaid virtual card. The virtual card replaces a physical plastic card

Case Study: Cashbuild’s Four-year PCI DSS Journey Success Thanks to its Partnership with Galix

Posted on by Initiator | 6445 Views | 14 min read

The breach or theft of cardholder’s details can affect an entire payment card ecosystem. Customers suddenly lose trust in merchants or financial institutions and similarly these merchants and financial institutions are subject to numerous financial liabilities and lost credibility. This makes a solid case for the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance

UnionPay International Launches UnionPay PaybyLink to Help Small and Micro Merchants Start Online Retail

Posted on by Initiator | 7213 Views | 13 min read

UnionPay International (UPI) announced today the launch of UnionPay PaybyLink, a link-based payment service, to provide merchants with a minimalist digital sales solution. With this solution, merchants are able to sell their products in just a few minutes by offering online payment service to UnionPay cardholders via means such as SMS and e-mail, without the

Year in Review: Bill Payments in 2020

Posted on by Initiator | 5932 Views | 18 min read

With leading bill payment aggregator Pay@ Services offering a broad spectrum of retailer, banking, and mobile-based bill payment services to bill issuers across most industry sectors, CEO Andrew Hardie believes that the company has the unique ability to provide a helicopter view of the bill payments market in 2020, particularly the impacts of the COVID-19

68% of SA Consumers are Shopping More Online Since the Start of Pandemic, Reveals Mastercard Study

Posted on by Initiator | 6176 Views | 14 min read

Data and airtime top up (81%), clothing (56%) and groceries (54%) top the virtual shopping list in South Africa 68% of people have learnt a new skill such as online banking, cooking, mastering DIY projects, and dancing, while 52% have spent more money on virtual experiences Social media has become an integral platform for connecting

FNB and Shoprite Group Expand Partnership to help Customers Replace Bank Cards in Stores

Posted on by Initiator | 6381 Views | 13 min read

Partnership continues to generate significant value for customers FNB and the Shoprite Group have expanded their partnership by allowing FNB Easy Pay As You Use and Smart Option account holders to replace lost or stolen bank cards in more than 700 Shoprite and Checkers stores across South Africa. This means FNB customers will now have

Telrshops – The First UAE-Based Fully Integrated E-Commerce Platform is Launched by Telr

Posted on by Initiator | 6682 Views | 19 min read

TelrShops enables merchants to create an e-commerce site in just 5 minutes Assists all merchants across a number of industries in offering their products and services online A meticulously designed platform to manage, scale and grow businesses online Allows integration with the Telr Payment gateway and offers user flexibility through the TelrShops App A new

phos and Stanchion Collaborate to Connect Merchants in Africa to the Contactless Digital Payment Ecosystem via their Existing Android Mobile Devices

Posted on by Initiator | 73193 Views | 13 min read

Partnership is a game-changer in enabling contactless acceptance for smaller merchants across the continent phos, the fintech behind the first-ever software-only Point of Sale (SoftPOS), and Stanchion Payment Solutions, a global specialist in payments systems and integration, today announced that they have partnered to help payments processing companies and banks to accelerate time to market

Walmart Joins the Paymentus Instant Payment Network™

Posted on by Initiator | 6086 Views | 6 min read

Paymentus to power Walmart’s enhanced bill pay experience Effective immediately, Walmart and Paymentus have formed a partnership designed to modernize how bills are paid in Walmart stores and in the Walmart app. As part of the collaboration, Walmart has joined the Paymentus Instant Payment Network™, adding another Fortune 100 company to Paymentus’ rapidly growing ecosystem.

ATMs – a Profit Booster for Retail Merchants Amid COVID-19

Posted on by Initiator | 6566 Views | 19 min read

Are you a retail merchant? Getting an ATM installed in-store can position you well for the post-lockdown recovery phase. COVID-19 has not discriminated, crossing the vast oceans that separate the countries of the world and bringing the world economy to a virtual stand-still. As the pandemic has tightened its grip globally and domestically, concerns about

Nando’s New Digital Payment Processing Platform is Hot Stuff

Posted on by Initiator | 6492 Views | 34 min read

In the restaurant industry, the importance of good customer service is balanced by the need to ensure the customer can easily pay for their meal at the end of their experience – and these two areas inevitably converge at the point-of-sale (PoS). When the South African Nando’s business embarked on a journey to implement new

Bank of Mauritius & Financial Services Commission Conduct Joint Investigation over Alleged Round-tripping Linked to Wirecard AG

Posted on by Initiator | 5642 Views | 3 min read

Wirecard AG, a German digital payments company, filed for insolvency in Germany on 25 June 2020. Press reports have alleged that, a few years ago, Wirecard AG could have been linked to a probable case of round-tripping involving a Mauritius-registered entity. The Bank of Mauritius (Bank) and the Financial Services Commission (FSC) are jointly investigating

Mastercard Research Shows Surge in Digital Payments as E-commerce Reaches New Heights Around the World

Posted on by Initiator | 6801 Views | 18 min read

Study shows consumers worldwide opting for touch-free, secure and seamless ways to pay The way we shop is changing. With constraints imposed on our daily lives due to COVID-19, consumers are adopting new payment habits at an accelerated pace, according to a global study by Mastercard conducted in 15 markets. Consumers are increasingly moving away

Mukuru Groceries Launches to Support Zimbabwean Families During the Crisis

Posted on by Initiator | 17944 Views | 12 min read

The service will give foreign national workers living in South Africa the ability to provide for their families back home with basic staples.  Mukuru, one of Africa’s leading remittance providers, has launched Mukuru Groceries – a service that will give South African based customers the ability to send groceries to their families and communities back

COVID-19: Jumia & Mastercard Incentivize Consumers to use Cashless Payments for Essential Products in Africa

Posted on by Initiator | 34866 Views | 8 min read

Jumia, Africa’s leading e-commerce platform and Mastercard today announced a partnership to incentivize the use of cashless payments platforms as people look for safer ways to pay in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this initiative, consumers who purchase essential products using their Mastercard on the Jumia platform will receive up to a 10

Visa & Mydawa Partner to Ease Access to Essential Medication

Posted on by Initiator | 10706 Views | 8 min read

Following a partnership announced between Visa and MYDAWA, it is now simpler and safer to purchase medication through the online pharmacy. The partnership is part of a drive to encourage consumers to embrace cashless payments and avoid leaving their homes where possible in support of calls by the government for citizens to observe social distancing