EBANX integrates Capitec Pay to power cross-border Open Banking in South Africa
Source: PR Newswire
EBANX, a global technology company specializing in payment solutions for emerging markets, has announced the integration of Capitec Pay, South Africa’s leading Open Banking-based, real-time payment method. This move marks EBANX’s first Open Banking solution outside Brazil and makes EBANX one of the first global payment service providers (PSPs) offering Capitec Pay for cross-border ecommerce.
Capitec Pay, launched by Capitec Bank, is the first large-scale implementation of Open Banking-based account-to-account (A2A) payments in South Africa. Through EBANX, global merchants from verticals such as online retail and subscription services, including streaming, gaming, and SaaS (Software as a Service), can now offer this cutting-edge payment method to their customers in South Africa.
“South Africa stands out as one of Africa’s fastest-growing digital markets, with a digital commerce penetration rate of 73% and an expected annual growth rate of 18% through 2027,” said Wiza Jalakasi, director of Africa expansion at EBANX, citing data from Payments and Commerce Market Intelligence (PCMI) featured in EBANX’s study Beyond Borders 2025.
“By integrating Capitec Pay, we are increasing access for over 20 million South African consumers to global digital commerce and enabling merchants to tap into a tech-savvy, mobile-first audience,” added Jalakasi.
Offering Capitec Pay enables merchants to reach 24 million users (57% of South Africa’s adult population), including 13 million mobile app users. For context, only 10% of the country’s adult population has ever used a credit card, according to the World Bank. EBANX’s internal data also shows that Capitec Pay delivers exceptional performance, with a payment conversion rate above 85%, typically exceeding that of credit cards and most alternative payment methods.
“Our partnership with EBANX marks a significant step in democratizing access to global digital commerce for South Africans,” stated Chris Zietsman, executive head, Capitec Business Payments.
“Capitec Pay was built on the premise of empowering our customers with secure, convenient, and real-time payment options. With EBANX, we are not only extending this commitment to cross-border transactions but also setting a new standard for Open Banking in the region.”
A new milestone in Open Banking
Capitec Pay leverages secure APIs and customer consent mechanisms to initiate real-time payments directly from the user’s bank account, without the need for a card or intermediary platform. It enables instant, frictionless payments through a seamless in-app experience, meeting growing consumer expectations around security, speed, and transparency in online transactions. It further enables subscriptions through its Variable Recurring Payments feature, enabling customers to securely authorize recurring payments.
“Open Banking is one of the most transformative trends in financial technology,” pointed out Jalakasi. “Capitec Pay stands out for its consumer-first design and technical integrity. EBANX is proud to be at the forefront of bringing this innovation to global merchants. It is a major step in democratizing access to digital services in South Africa and building the infrastructure for inclusive commerce.”
With the addition of Capitec Pay, EBANX now offers a comprehensive payment portfolio in South Africa that includes Instant EFTs, debit and credit card payments, and now Open Banking A2A transfers.
Capitec Pay gives consumers full control over their payment flow. When shopping online, users simply authenticate the transaction through their Capitec banking app, eliminating the need to share sensitive financial information. For merchants, the method reduces fraud risks, improves settlement times, and lowers processing costs compared to traditional card schemes.