The partnership will allow merchants using Ozow’s payment infrastructure to activate Happy Pay’s BNPL offering without requiring additional development work, contracts, or changes to their existing checkout systems.
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Happy Pay and Ozow have partnered to roll out zero-deposit, interest-free Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) services across Ozow’s extensive merchant network, in a move aimed at expanding flexible payment options for South African consumers.
The partnership comes as Happy Pay accelerates its expansion in South Africa following the recent completion of a $5 million seed funding round led by Partech. The company currently serves more than 600 000 registered users and continues to grow its network of retail and e-commerce partners nationwide.
The partnership will allow merchants using Ozow’s payment infrastructure to activate Happy Pay’s BNPL offering without requiring additional development work, contracts, or changes to their existing checkout systems.
Ozow currently connects businesses to more than 47 million South African bank account holders and processes payments across e-commerce, QR, in-store and payment link channels. Through the new agreement, merchants will be able to offer customers the ability to split purchases into instalments without paying deposits or interest.
Unlike traditional BNPL models, Happy Pay’s platform is subsidised through advertising and merchant partnerships rather than consumer fees, enabling shoppers to access instalment payments at no additional cost.
Wesley Billett, CEO of Happy Pay, on Monday said BNPL is increasingly becoming a standard payment expectation among consumers.
“BNPL is no longer a niche payment method. It is becoming a standard expectation at checkout. By partnering with Ozow, we are able to extend this capability to a broader merchant base, while maintaining a seamless and responsible customer experience,” he said.
The companies said the partnership aims to help merchants reduce checkout abandonment by giving customers greater payment flexibility without introducing additional friction into the buying process.
Lyle Eckstein, chief commercial officer at Ozow, said merchants are seeking practical solutions that improve conversion rates while keeping payment systems simple.
“This partnership enables exactly that, giving merchants access to a proven payment method that can drive conversion and unlock new customer segments, while remaining fully aligned with Ozow’s single integration approach,” Eckstein said.
Happy Pay also said its AI-driven advertising engine allows merchants to target high-intent shoppers using behavioural and purchase data, helping retailers drive customer acquisition and additional sales beyond the initial transaction.
BUSINESS REPORT