Is BNPL popular in South Africa?
Yes. Stitch's 2026 report found that 71% of credit-active consumers use BNPL at some frequency and 38.9% tried it for the first time in the past year. PayJustNow alone serves over 2.6 million shoppers.
In detail
Yes, it has gone mainstream. In Stitch's 2026 consumer survey, 38.9% of respondents tried buy now, pay later for the first time in the past 12 months, and 71% of credit-active consumers used it at some frequency. Electronics is the top category, followed by clothing, and 48.7% of shoppers want BNPL both online and in store.
The local model
Most South African BNPL is short and interest-free: a purchase is split into two to four payments. The main players are:
- Payflex and PayJustNow, the leading stand-alone providers. PayJustNow alone serves over 2.6 million shoppers.
- MoreTyme, inside the GoTyme app.
- Revolving accounts such as Mobicred and retail store cards for longer credit.
How merchants are paid
Merchants are paid upfront while the provider carries the credit risk. The choice of provider comes down to fees, approval rates and how many shoppers each one already has.
What it means for payment operators
For operators serving South African merchants, BNPL is now an expected checkout option, especially in electronics and fashion. Connecting one or two providers as payment methods and activating them per merchant brings BNPL to the checkout without each merchant running its own integration.