Shop2Shop and Pay@ turn 'corner shops' into community payment hubs

Image supplied

The collaboration enables informal retailers to process everyday bill payments directly from their existing Shop2Shop card machines, allowing customers to pay everything from municipal accounts to retail store cards without travelling long distances to towns or shopping centres.

Beyond making payments more convenient, the initiative is creating new income opportunities for thousands of informal traders while extending access to formal financial services into communities that have traditionally been underserved.

Entrepreneurship

Why spaza shops matter more than South Africa realises

Annele Dippenaar  14 May 2026

Bringing financial services to the doorstep

For many South Africans living in township and rural communities, paying monthly accounts often requires costly trips into town, consuming valuable time, transport costs and, in some cases, lost income.

The Shop2Shop and Pay@ partnership aims to remove those barriers by allowing customers to settle accounts at participating local traders in just a few minutes.

Using the service is straightforward. Customers simply provide their account reference number, which the trader enters into the Shop2Shop terminal. The payment is processed in real time, and customers immediately receive an official receipt.

The service supports both banked and unbanked customers, allowing payments to be made either by cash or card, regardless of the payment method.

The solution provides access to Pay@'s extensive network of more than 500 billers, including municipalities, retailers, store accounts and other service providers, through a single integration already built into the Shop2Shop platform.

Informal traders unlock new revenue opportunities

While the service simplifies bill payments for consumers, it also introduces a valuable new revenue stream for informal retailers.

Every payment processed generates commission, which is automatically calculated and credited directly into the trader's Shop2Shop wallet in real time.

Importantly, retailers do not need to purchase additional hardware or invest in new technology. The functionality is already available through existing Shop2Shop devices, allowing traders to begin offering the service immediately without upfront costs.

The added foot traffic generated by bill payments is also expected to increase in-store purchases, encouraging customers to buy everyday essentials while settling their accounts.

"What we love about this solution is that it makes payments accessible to underserved communities," says Annelene Dippenaar, chief business officer at Shop2Shop.

"The local shop becomes a little business-in-a-box and a neighbourhood payment point. The trader earns a new income stream with no new machine and no cost, customers get formal services on their doorstep, and the money stays inside the community instead of leaving it."

Strong demand driven by real community needs

Since launching at the end of April 2026, the partnership has recorded rapid adoption across the Shop2Shop network.

To date, more than 30,000 transactions worth over R7m have been processed, with an average transaction value of approximately R233.

Retail Services

Shop2Shop and SallyPOS unite to close the gap for informal traders and formal sector operators

15 Apr 2026

The service processed more than 11,000 transactions during May, its first full month of operation, despite no formal marketing campaign. Momentum continued to build in June, with transaction volumes climbing to approximately 18,000 payments within four weeks.

The strongest demand has come from customers making repayments for device-financing services, particularly PayJoy and FoneYam, highlighting the growing importance of affordable connectivity within South Africa's informal economy.

Financial inclusion through existing infrastructure

The partnership reflects a broader trend within South Africa's fintech sector: leveraging existing retail infrastructure to expand access to financial services without requiring costly physical branches.

Rather than asking communities to travel to financial services, Shop2Shop and Pay@ are embedding those services directly into neighbourhood businesses that residents already know and trust.

"Pay@'s mission has always been to make payments as seamless, simple and accessible as possible," says Lani van der Merwe, payment network manager at Pay@.

"Partnering with Shop2Shop brings that to life. A customer no longer has to travel kilometres into town and lose time or wages just to pay a bill. The trader becomes a trusted hub for the community, and the growth we've seen, almost entirely on word of mouth, shows just how real that need is."

Building the next generation of community commerce

Shop2Shop and Pay@ see the current solution as only the beginning of a broader digital services ecosystem for informal retailers.

Future developments include introducing cash deposits, customer payouts and expanding the number of available billers, further strengthening the role of neighbourhood traders as community financial service hubs.

As South Africa continues to explore new ways of extending financial inclusion, the partnership demonstrates how digital technology can empower informal businesses while improving access to essential services.

By transforming corner stores into trusted payment centres, Shop2Shop and Pay@ are not only simplifying everyday transactions—they are helping keep economic activity within local communities while creating new opportunities for small business owners to grow alongside the customers they serve.