Pay with bitcoin at 650 000+ merchants in South Africa
More big news for the local Bitcoin scene: Well known payment provider in South Africa, Scan to Pay, has teamed up with MoneyBadger so you can spend bitcoin at 650,000+ Scan to Pay merchants nationwide. This comes hot on the heels of last months announcement of the Zapper bitcoin integration for 31 000+ merchants in South Africa.
This integration enables direct bitcoin payments at checkout, you simply scan a QR code and pay instantly from your bitcoin lightning wallet. Merchants still get paid in rands, just like they do today.
“This collaboration represents a significant step towards financial inclusion in making bitcoin payments practical for daily use,” says Theo Koma, product owner at Scan to Pay. “By removing the conversion step, we’re making it possible for people to use bitcoin directly.”
Why it matters
- Frictionless spending: Skip the headache of trading on exchanges. Just scan, confirm, done.
- Massive coverage: Use crypto at 650,000+ Scan to Pay locations – groceries, fuel, dining, online shopping, and more.
- Real-world utility: Bring your bitcoin payments into everyday life.
- Merchant-friendly: No new hardware or systems. Merchants accept as usual and receive Rand settlement.
How it works
- Get the Money Badger app: Install the Money Badger app (Android) or its iOS counterpart “CryptoQR Pay.”
(Android: Click here, iOS: Click here) - Link your wallet: Open the app and connect a Lightning wallet like Blink, Wallet of Satoshi or Aqua. (Many other wallets work too.)
- Scan the Scan to Pay QR: At checkout, open Money Badger app, scan the merchant’s Scan to Pay QR, and confirm the payment in your wallet. The payment zips over the Lightning Network in seconds.
- Merchant gets Rands: The business receives settlement in ZAR by the next business day – so there’s no price-volatility headache on the merchant’s side.
Who can use it?
- Consumers: Over 7 million South Africans on major exchanges and wallets now have a direct way to pay with bitcoin.
- South Africa consistently ranks among the world’s leading crypto adopters. Recent estimates put local crypto ownership around 12.4% of the population.
- Surveys show roughly two-thirds of bitcoin owners are interested in using it for purchases or have already used bitcoin instruments (debit/gift cards) at checkout. The demand to spend is real; acceptance has been the bottleneck.
- Merchants: Any business already accepting Scan to Pay is good to go – no extra setup. Bitcoin gets converted behind the scenes and paid out in rands via existing banking rails.
Security, reliability, and choice
MoneyBadger focuses on payment facilitation, not custodial wallet services. That means broad compatibility across exchanges and wallets, while keeping to the security and reliability standards merchants expect. You maintain choice over where and how you hold your assets.
“South Africans are increasingly moving from holding Bitcoin as an investment vehicle to using their Bitcoin for day-to-day expenses. Making this available via the Scan to Pay merchant base expands the number of places where South Africans can pay with Bitcoin significantly, and we believe this partnership will benefit everyone.” – Carel van Wyk, co-founder and CEO of MoneyBadger
What can you pay for?
- Everyday essentials: groceries, fuel, pharmacy runs
- Dining & entertainment: restaurants, coffee shops, takeaways
- Online buys: e-commerce merchants that support Scan to Pay
If there’s a Scan to Pay QR at the till or checkout page, you’re likely good to go.
Bottom line
This partnership is a big step toward a real crypto circular economy in South Africa. It makes spending Bitcoin and other digital assets as simple as scanning a QR code, while keeping life easy for merchants with ZAR settlement. As adoption grows, expect even more ways to earn, save, and spend directly in bitcoin – no bank detours required.
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