South Africans now have a new way to spend their cryptocurrency online and at their favourite stores, restaurants, and fuel stations.
On Tuesday, Binance Pay announced its official integration with Zapper, one of South Africa’s most recognised payment processors.
The deal instantly opened crypto payments nationwide at over 31,000 merchant locations across the country to integrate digital assets into the everyday financial system.
“Binance Pay is about more than crypto; it’s about giving South Africans freedom and flexibility in how they spend their money,” the Binance South Africa team emphasised, underscoring the vision behind the rollout.
Zapper’s longstanding QR code legacy
For years, South Africans have been accustomed to scanning Zapper QR codes to pay for restaurant meals, check out pharmacies, or fill up at petrol stations. With Binance Pay now integrated, those same codes can process payments in cryptocurrency just as easily as with a card or mobile wallet.
The partnership means that users can walk into KFC, Wimpy, Mugg & Bean, Dis-Chem, Baby City, Yuppiechef, FlySafair, and major fuel stations such as Total and Sasol and pay with Bitcoin, Ethereum, or one of the many supported cryptocurrencies.
Zapper, founded in 2013, has long been known for its simplicity: scan a code, confirm payment, and you’re done. The system is already integrated across restaurants, retail shops, and e-commerce platforms. The new collaboration has made the platform one of the largest crypto acceptance networks in Africa.
How Binance Pay works
Binance Pay is a contactless payment feature built directly into the Binance app. It allows users to send, receive, and spend crypto without dealing with the technical hurdles often associated with blockchain transactions.
One of its most appealing features is the removal of gas fees, which often discourage newcomers from using crypto for small, everyday payments.
Instead, the system abstracts away the complexities, so users only need to select their crypto, scan the QR code, and confirm payment.
Globally, more than 45 million people already use Binance Pay to do everything from splitting bills with friends to booking international flights.
The platform supports over 400 digital assets for peer-to-peer payments and 100+ cryptocurrencies for merchant transactions.
In partnership with Zapper, the South African rollout effectively doubles Binance Pay’s merchant network worldwide from about 32,000 to more than 63,000 businesses.
“The partnership allows customers to use cryptocurrencies for everyday purchases by scanning Zapper’s ubiquitous QR codes at major national retailers, effectively embedding crypto payments into the country’s existing financial infrastructure,” Binance noted in its announcement.
No matter how seamless a payment method is, adoption requires nudges. Binance Pay and Zapper have introduced a 50 per cent cashback promotion to encourage first-time users. This means that consumers can enjoy instant rewards while experimenting with crypto as a payment tool.
Fintech firms often use incentives like these to accelerate user adoption. By offering a tangible financial benefit, Binance and Zapper are not only lowering the barrier to entry but also helping consumers see crypto as more than an investment; it becomes a functional currency.
As Binance explained, “It provides a tangible reason for consumers to experiment with crypto payments for the first time, transforming abstract utility into concrete financial benefit during the initial rollout phase.”
South Africa’s growing role in the crypto economy
The move also reflects South Africa’s status as one of the continent’s most active cryptocurrency markets. Surveys suggest that the country’s digital asset awareness and ownership are among the highest on the continent.
At the same time, regulators are gradually working toward clearer frameworks for crypto service providers, creating a friendlier environment for adoption.
Capitalising on Zapper’s existing merchant network, South Africans now have a real-world testing ground for what it means to use digital assets in daily life.
Instead of trading Bitcoin or holding tokens as investments, people can now use crypto to pay for groceries, medicine, fast food, travel, and fuel.
Meanwhile, the South African rollout could also serve as a model for other regions. Countries in Asia and Latin America, where QR code payments are already a part of everyday life, may be natural next steps for Binance Pay’s expansion.
Beyond geography, this development strengthens the case for hybrid financial systems, where fiat and crypto coexist at checkout counters.
Binance Pay demonstrates that crypto can scale without disrupting consumers’ familiar habits by layering digital assets onto existing payment infrastructure rather than replacing it.