South African fintech startup PayJustNow has gone live on Takealot ahead of Black Friday on November 28. The integration lets Takealot shoppers split purchases into installments, aligning flexible payments with a peak retail moment. Both companies frame the move as consumer friendly at a time of tighter household budgets. Pioneering BNPL in South Africa Founded
YOOBIC selected from competitive field by the Shoprite Group, one of the world’s largest grocery chains, to transform store operations and communication for its employees. YOOBIC, the AI-powered frontline employee experience platform, today announced that Africa’s largest retailer, Shoprite Group, is actively rolling out YOOBIC’s digital workplace platform across its extensive network of more than
ATLANTA & ZUG, Switzerland–(BUSINESS WIRE)–The Coca-Cola Company and Gutsche Family Investments have agreed to sell a 75% controlling interest in Coca-Cola Beverages Africa Pty. Ltd. to Coca-Cola HBC AG, the companies announced today. CCBA is the largest Coca-Cola bottler in Africa. It operates in 14 countries on the continent and accounts for about 40% of
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
Backed by over 30 years of speed and innovation, AutoTrader South Africa will unveil cutting-edge AI technology designed to empower dealerships, enhance performance, and make life easier for car-buying consumers. For over three decades, AutoTrader has shaped the way vehicles are bought and sold in South Africa. What began in 1992 as a 24-page print magazine connecting
AfroQuality today announced the launch of its operations in Ghana, Rwanda, and Kenya, introducing a new kind of retail and distribution platform designed to help African brands scale across the continent and globally. AfroQuality is building the distribution rails for African brands; a multi-country retail and logistics backbone that allows artisans, designers, and manufacturers to move
Global cloud communications platform Infobip has announced the expansion of its integration with Microsoft Azure Communication Services, enabling its advanced SMS interface to connect businesses with customers in more than 100 additional countries. This collaboration unites Infobip’s carrier-grade global messaging with Microsoft’s communications platform, empowering organisations to deliver secure, high-quality, and compliant messages worldwide. As
Checkers has launched South Africa’s first smart shopping trolley, pioneering a major step towards a frictionless, technology-led in-store experience. Called the Xpress Trolley, it allows shoppers to scan-and-bag items as they go, track a live running total, and pay directly on the trolley without needing to stand in a queue or bag products at a
Written by 1Nebula | https://www.1nebula.com/ Get your free Telecom Cost Audit here Company growth is a good thing. However, growth often requires even more work to consolidate its gains. For operationally intensive retail companies, this often looks like an increasing footprint of stores, warehouses, and delivery fleets. This new infrastructure brings with it a need
Vodacom South Africa has successfully made the country’s first native voice call on 5G, also known as Voice over New Radio (VoNR). The call was made on Vodacom’s test network – an important prelude to launching the service on the live network. Vodacom South Africa’s Technology Director, Beverly Ngwenya said, “As a company led by
Amdocs (NASDAQ: DOX), a leading provider of software and services for communications and media companies, announced today the successful completion of a major business support systems (BSS) transformation with Telkom South Africa. The South African service provider upgraded its legacy BSS to Amdocs Customer Experience Suite (CES), Amdocs’ cloud-native, modular platform, now supporting approximately 25 million
Africa’s biggest bank and Africa’s biggest retailer is expanding its UCount Rewards partnership after just three months, to also include Petshop Science, the country’s fastest growing pet retail business. Customers can now unlock up to 30% back in Standard Bank UCount Rewards points on the wide range of treats, toys and specialised pet food available
Vivo Energy Zambia has successfully transformed customer engagement across its network with the comprehensive “Engen’s Got You Covered” campaign that ran from April to June 2025. The campaign introduced the innovative “Talk to Engen”, a powerful new customer feedback online platform designed to revolutionise how Vivo Energy listens to customers and drives better experiences across
Stitch Express, part of payments infrastructure company Stitch, today announced Elevate25, a new e-commerce conference set to take place on 7 August 2025 in Johannesburg. Designed to unite South Africa’s leading e-commerce brands, logistics providers, growth platforms, and digital agencies, the summit will welcome over 200 attendees for a day of actionable insights, strategy sharing,
Pick n Pay has launched a powerful new app that brings together its on-demand delivery service asap!, Smart Shopper loyalty programme, and value-added services into a single, next-generation platform. This is the retailer’s most significant digital milestone since launching asap!. The asap! back-end and front-end technology has been completely re-platformed over the past 18 months, resulting
Blind SA, a leading nonprofit organisation dedicated to advocating for accessibility and inclusion, has been working closely with Checkers to optimise the online shopping experience on the Sixty60 app for blind and partially sighted users. Following the launch of the new Checkers Sixty60 app in October 2024, various representatives of Blind SA – including Christo
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
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
SYSPRO has released new research to support executives in mid-sized organisations considering the value of implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system in their business. Manufacturing and distribution organisations require practical tools to drive growth and cultivate a data-driven culture that empowers decision-makers throughout the supply and value chains. “In today’s digital age, effective data
Modern retail is dependent on technology to deliver the type of frictionless experience consumers demand and employees need. Over and above this, seamless integrations are the lifeblood of operational efficacy and efficiency in the race to win and retain market share. Peter Ludi, Managing Executive at redPanda Solutions, a leading retail software solutions partner, says
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 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
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
Logidoo announced the launch of Doomaket, an innovative marketplace platform poised to transform African e-commerce by addressing critical challenges in global trade. This solution is a powerful tool to empower African merchants, enabling them to expand their businesses worldwide and overcome traditional barriers to international commerce. Doomaket stands out from similar platforms through a comprehensive
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
Tendo Technologies Limited, a pioneering online retail platform empowering African entrepreneurs, officially announces its strategic acquisition of Shopa, a leading provider of comprehensive commerce solutions for informal retailers across Ghana. This landmark deal, structured as a combination of cash and stock, is set to redefine the supply chain landscape in Africa. Shopa’s large network of
Retail and relationship-building have always been the key drivers behind Gerhard Nortjé’s evolution towards becoming an IT business leader. Today, Nortjé is more than three years into his highly successful tenure as MD at redPanda Software, the leading retail software partner in South Africa. Nortjé’s journey to tech was facilitated by retail, a shared passion
redPanda Software and Loyal Guru partner to bring global best practice to South Africa Modern retail strategies focus on customer attraction and retention, which are crucial as consumer behaviour shifts. Increased options and ongoing financial distress among South African consumers highlight the need for retailers to adapt to what customers want and need, according to
A customer-obsessed mindset is no longer the preserve of B2C companies The concept of customer experience (CX) has shifted from customer-centricity to customer obsession, making it much more comprehensive and immersive than ever before. Where customer-centricity sets its sights on understanding and meeting customer needs, customer obsession goes a step beyond by integrating every aspect
By Junaid Kleinschmidt, digital marketing strategy and intelligence lead for Accenture, Africa The South African retail landscape is contending with a range of challenges, such as high unemployment, severe inflation, shrinkflation, and the lingering effects of Covid-19. These pressures have transformed consumer expectations and added layers of complexity to their shopping decisions. Retailers must now
South Africa’s e-commerce landscape has arrived at an important juncture. The explosive growth observed during the pandemic years has slowed down somewhat and consumer spending power has faltered amid low economic growth and a global cost of living crisis. At the same time, competition is heating up. Asian retailers such as Shein and Temu are
South African retail has experienced profound transformation over the past few years, with digital platforms and ecommerce reshaping consumer expectations. However, we are just in the earliest phases of digital transformation and SME retailers will need to be agile to keep up with emerging customer demands and new competitors. Steven Heilbron, CEO of Capital Connect,
New research underscores the enduring strength and intricate dynamics of South Africa’s independent grocery trade, from big wholesalers to spazas, thriving amid two decades of retail shifts. When retail research business Trade Intelligence was founded in 2004, the formal grocery retail space was dominated by the ‘Big Six’ – Pick n Pay, Shoprite, SPAR, Woolworths,
By Tobie Jordaan and Jutami Augustyn, Partners, and Paras Shah, Kenya Managing Partner, BowmansThe retail sector in South Africa has experienced significant distress in the last year, with several high-profile retail businesses entering business rescue proceedings. Retail giants like AutoZone, West Pack and Cross Trainer, for example, have all recently entered business rescue, highlighting the
As shopper behaviours evolve, brands and retailers are working hard to catch up, using tools to connect with a new generation of increasingly demanding and informed shoppers. South African shoppers are not what they used to be. They’re tougher, savvier, and more in tune with what they are looking for. A combination of COVID and
South Africa’s Information Regulator recently revealed that it receives more than 150 monthly data breach notifications – a considerable increase from last year’s average of 56. Hackers are doing the country’s already battling economy no favours: the 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report, produced by the Poneman Institute and published by IBM Security, states
Artificial Intelligence hasn’t just transformed our world but is also profoundly affecting market research by revolutionising how companies understand and predict consumer behaviour. This was the view of Ipsos Global Head of Product Testing Dr Nikolai Reynolds during a recent visit to South African clients and agencies, where he shared groundbreaking insights on using AI
In a bold step towards redefining the future of financial technology, Ukheshe has announced its official rebranding to EFT Corporation. The move consolidates Ukheshe’s pioneering digital solutions with EFT Corporation’s extensive reach and expertise under one unified brand, positioning it as a leading catalyst for financial inclusion in Africa. The rebranding of Ukheshe to EFT
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,
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
By Jason Sive, CEO, Mobicred (and Strategic Partnerships Executive at RCS) Greater levels of digital adoption and the increasing sophistication of technological tools have ushered in a new era for shoppers – one characterised by choice and convenience. Empowered by evolving demands, retail finance leaders have the exciting task of shaping the future of the
Niel Coetzee, Head of Engineering at redPanda Software South Africa felt the full impact of internet disruption when four of the nine undersea cables providing connectivity to these shores went down at the same time in the middle of March. The disruption was widespread and affected businesses across industries. However, while some industries can afford
Pick n Pay has set a new standard in affordability and accessibility with the launch of its store-to-store Domestic Money Transfer service. At R8.00 per transaction, it is the cheapest price for customers within retail stores. The informal cash usage in the country remains high, and this service will be interoperable across all Pick n
With online sales in Africa on course to top the trillion-rand mark by 2026, the race is on for ecommerce businesses to claim their piece of the pie. Research by Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI) indicates that in the next two years the digital commerce market is expected to reach US$72-billion across South Africa,
By Graham Bradford, Senior Product Manager at Ecentric As retailers grow into mid-market size and beyond, the complexity and cost of manually reconciling payments increases almost exponentially because there are hundreds of thousands, if not more, transactions a day. Most retailers in this segment reconcile their payments with spreadsheets and many can’t expect a view
The Human Face of Retail By Peter Ludi, Business Development Executive at redPanda Software There’s widespread acceptance that improving customer experience will go a long way towards attracting and retaining customers, especially at a time when there’s increased competition for valuable consumer spend. Naturally, all eyes turn to technology to remove friction, add convenience, automate,
As businesses across the globe work towards making culture and employee wellbeing an integral part of their organisations, the retail industry should consider this when it comes to their retail employees says Serena Ho, head of consumer market at BDO South Africa Inc. Here they discuss the important role of retail employees in powering the
By Sheetal Patel, Retail lead and Junaid Kleinschmidt, Digital Marketing Strategy and Intelligence lead for Accenture, Africa In the span of a year, the landscape of artificial intelligence has undergone a remarkable transformation. Until late 2022, few people outside of cutting-edge artificial intelligence had heard of Large Language Models (LLMs) or Generative AI. Now, it’s
South African shoppers want choice and convenience. Recognising this, retail consumer finance provider, RCS, is offering real, tangible value to its customers. By expanding its partner network, payment options and embracing cutting-edge technology, RCS is not just keeping up; it’s leading the way towards greater financial inclusion in South Africa. Credit extended to healthcare products
By Peter Ludi, MD Solutions at redPanda Software In the wake of the rapidly evolving digital landscape, retailers are continuously confronted with a myriad of software solutions. Implementing these systems often requires a considerable investment of resources, frequently resulting in a patchwork of fragmented systems and siloed operations. One can only browse through recent media
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