South African fintech company Ozow has partnered with Happy Pay to introduce Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services across its merchant network, giving businesses a new way to offer flexible payment options to customers at checkout.
The partnership comes as online shopping continues to grow in South Africa, with more merchants looking for payment tools that can improve sales, reduce cart abandonment, and meet changing customer expectations.
Through the collaboration, merchants using Ozow’s payment platform can now activate BNPL within their existing checkout systems without needing additional technical integration. Customers will be able to split purchases across two paycheques without paying interest, provided payments are made on time.
The companies say the move is designed to make online shopping more affordable and convenient for consumers while helping businesses increase conversion rates and average order values.
For merchants, the system also reduces operational complexity because Happy Pay will manage customer repayments and collections. Businesses will continue receiving the full value of transactions through weekly settlements.
BNPL services have become one of the fastest-growing segments in digital commerce globally. Industry estimates show that more than 300 million people worldwide now use BNPL solutions, accounting for around 5% to 6% of global e-commerce payments.
The growth is being driven by consumers seeking more flexible and transparent payment options, especially during periods of rising living costs and increased digital shopping activity.
A major feature of the Ozow and Happy Pay partnership is its low-friction setup process. Merchants can enable the service without building new payment infrastructure, making deployment faster and simpler for businesses already operating on Ozow’s platform.
The companies are also encouraging merchants to use Happy Pay’s promotional tools, including BNPL widgets and pull-out checkout buttons, to improve visibility and increase customer engagement during the purchasing process.
In addition to payments, qualifying businesses will gain access to Happy Pay’s “Happy Ads” platform, which offers personalised marketing tools aimed at improving customer acquisition and repeat purchases.
The partnership reflects Ozow’s broader strategy of expanding beyond payments into a wider commerce support platform for businesses operating in South Africa’s digital economy.
As competition in e-commerce continues to increase, flexible payment services such as BNPL are becoming an increasingly important part of how merchants attract and retain online shoppers.
