The news
- Happy Pay has partnered with Peach Payments to grow the BNPL ecosystem in South Africa.
- The deal gives merchants access to interest-free, deposit-free consumer financing at checkout.
South African fintech Happy Pay has announced a strategic partnership with online payment platform Peach Payments to expand Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services across the country. The collaboration will allow thousands of online merchants using Peach Payments to offer customers interest-free, deposit-free payment options through Happy Pay.
The partnership targets South Africa’s growing e-commerce sector, where flexible payment methods are increasingly shaping consumer behaviour. Happy Pay’s installment solution is designed to unlock access to essential and lifestyle purchases for consumers who may be credit-averse or unable to qualify for traditional lending.
“As the only zero-deposit BNPL provider integrated with Peach Payments, Happy Pay eliminates upfront costs for shoppers while driving higher conversions and increased basket sizes for merchants,” Happy Pay commented.
What sets Happy Pay apart is its affordability-based approval system, which helps users avoid over-indebtedness. Instead of relying on credit scores, the platform uses an algorithm to assess whether consumers can reasonably afford the purchase. The startup describes this model as “zero-cost credit,” as it avoids hidden fees or interest charges for the consumer.
Peach Payments, one of South Africa’s leading payment gateways, processes transactions for online platforms ranging from SMEs to large enterprises. Its integration with Happy Pay makes the BNPL option seamless for merchants already using its system.
Happy Pay also recently closed a $1.8 million pre-seed funding round backed by investors including E4E Africa and 4Di Capital.
As the BNPL space heats up, this partnership positions Happy Pay to compete with established players like Float, Payflex, and PayJustNow. But its interest-free, deposit-free model—and now, its expanded merchant access through Peach Payments—could make it a standout player in South Africa’s digital payments landscape.
