Blog greatdealgold.com 20 September 2025 0 Comments

Pay With Bitcoin (Lightning) at 31,000+ South African Merchants

Big news for the local Bitcoin scene: you can now spend bitcoin pretty much everywhere that shows a Zapper QR code online or in-store, by using the Money Badger app with your bitcoin lightning wallet.

Zapper is one of SA’s leading payment processors, trusted by a network of over 31,000 businesses, so this instantly unlocks tens of thousands of places to pay with bitcoin over the lightning network.

For South African users, the integration means bitcoin can now be used for everyday spending, such as meals, retail purchases, fuel, and online bookings.

(Please not that not ALL stores on the Zapper merchant list are active yet, only those stores that have activated the zapper option. If you want a store activated that has not yet done so, you can email [email protected] and CC [email protected])

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 Zapper QR: At checkout, open Money Badger app, scan the merchant’s Zapper 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.

This is the magic: you pay in bitcoin; they get paid in Rands (just like any card sale) so even merchants who aren’t “into bitcoin” can accept your payment with zero hassle. The merchant may not even be aware you are paying with bitcoin.

Zapper CEO Mike Bryer said that the partnership forms part of Zapper’s mission to help merchants grow their businesses by adding over 5 million more South Africans to the payment network.

Why this is a big deal

Massive reach: Zapper’s footprint includes national brands and popular online stores – think Dis-Chem, Spur, Mugg & Bean, Wimpy, OneDayOnly, Total, Spar, FlySafair, Yuppiechef, Ocean Basket, and many more. Browse the living list here: Zapper Merchant list
Seamless UX: Money Badger acts like a “universal translator” for QR payments, bridging legacy POS QR codes (like Zapper) with Lightning invoices.
Merchant-friendly: Card-like pricing and ZAR settlement mean the store’s accounting stays simple. (Money Badger lists next-business-day ZAR/BTC settlement for SA businesses.)

South Africans actually want to spend 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.

What is the bitcoin lightning network?

Lightning is a second-layer network on top of Bitcoin that makes tiny, instant, low-fee payments possible – perfect for coffee, groceries, or airtime. You still own Bitcoin; Lightning just routes it smarter and faster.

Who’s behind Money Badger?

pick n pay bitcoin MoneyBadger is a Stellenbosch-based fintech founded by Carel van Wyk (ex-Luno, SnapScan), Carl Kritzinger, and Brent Petersen. The team helped power Pick n Pay’s 2023 crypto-payments rollout allowing users to spend bitcoin at Pick n Pay stores country wide.