Kenyan payments solutions firm expands to SA
Direct Pay Online was established in Kenya in 2006 and has since expanded to Uganda, Rwanda, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana. The Group processes merchant payments, mobile money and e-wallets, and holds PCI DSS Level 1 Certification, the highest security certification in the global payment cards industry.
PayThru South Africa is a cloud-based payment gateway that specialises in the integration of mobile devices. The acquisition is in line with the group’s strategy to strengthen its positioning in South Africa and establish itself as the leading payment service provider on the continent.
Commenting on the investment, Offer Gat, the DPO group chairman said: “Investing in market leading businesses in the online payments space is a core pillar of our growth strategy. Our vision is to provide one payment solution across Africa and this acquisition brings us one step closer to that goal.”
PayThru was established in South Africa in 2010 and is a subsidiary of PayThru UK. The company’s knowledge and expertise serving the South African market over the past six years has led them to sign a number of high quality online businesses with transaction volumes growing steadily month on month. DPO’s acquisition of PayThru means that these clients, including online retailers TakeALot.com, Superbalist.com and online food delivery service Mr. Delivery, will all be served by the DPO group.
Direct Pay Online group CEO, Eran Feinstein said: “We are excited to welcome PayThru South Africa to the DPO family. They bring an impressive track record in the online payments sector, especially in the mobile arena. With this acquisition, we are fully aligned in our ambition to become the leading end-to-end online payment service provider in Africa by deploying world-class payment infrastructure and technology, and expanding our footprint on the continent.”
African markets
Last year, Direct Pay Online began its Southern Africa takeover by merging with PayGate (Pty) Ltd, a leading online payments processor in South Africa with over 15 years of experience and presence in 24 African markets. In March of this year, the group expanded into Botswana and Namibia with the acquisition of Virtual Card Services, a leading credit, debit and smart card processing system for electronic payments.
DPO South Africa managing director, Peter Harvey said: “The combination of PayGate, VCS and PayThru under the Direct Pay Online Group provides a single contact point for merchants looking to accept payments across the continent. Merchants now have access to DPO's services across the continent and benefit immensely from the groups bespoke development solutions and customer support in the local language of each territory. End customers also benefit as they receive the broadest suite of payment options in Africa coupled with world-class security, risk management and fraud prevention.”
