Zakhaa Pay launches South Africa’s first NFC payment wristband to transform tipping in the informal economy
As South Africa moves steadily towards a cashless economy, thousands of workers who rely on tips and small cash payments are finding it harder to earn a living. From waiters and petrol attendants to taxi drivers, barbers and informal traders, many are losing income simply because customers no longer carry notes and coins.
Now, award winning fintech entrepreneur Teboho Twala believes he has a solution.
The Zakhaa Pay founder has unveiled the Leruo NFC Wristband, which the company says is South Africa’s first NFC enabled payment wristband built specifically for the country’s informal and service sectors. The wearable technology allows workers to receive instant digital payments and tips with nothing more than a tap from a customer’s smartphone.
The launch marks another step in South Africa’s rapidly changing digital payments landscape, where convenience is reshaping the way people spend money and how workers receive it.
Unlike traditional payment methods that require QR codes, card machines or sharing personal banking details, the Leruo Wristband is linked directly to a user’s Zakhaa Pay Wallet. Customers simply tap the NFC enabled wristband using a compatible smartphone, enter the amount they wish to pay and complete the transaction in less than 10 seconds.
The platform has been designed with workers in mind, particularly those who depend on fast, low value transactions throughout the day. This includes waiters, bartenders, hotel staff, taxi and e hailing drivers, petrol attendants, delivery drivers, barbers, salon professionals, car guards and informal traders.
Importantly, customers do not need a Zakhaa Pay account to make a payment. The system is compatible with Google Pay, Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, major South African banking applications and NFC enabled Android and iPhone devices.
For Twala, the technology is about more than convenience. He says it addresses a growing challenge that has quietly affected thousands of South Africans as cash transactions continue to decline.
“Innovation should solve real problems. We built the Leruo Wristband because too many hardworking South Africans are losing income simply because customers no longer carry cash. Technology should make earning a living easier, not more complicated, and that’s exactly what we’re aiming to do.”
Once a payment has been completed, funds are deposited instantly into the recipient’s Zakhaa Pay Wallet. Users can transfer the money, withdraw funds through participating partners including Pick n Pay, Boxer and Absa, or use the balance to Scan to Pay at more than 700,000 merchants nationwide, including Checkers, Shoprite, Usave, Dis-Chem and Engen.
The innovation also aims to strengthen financial inclusion by providing an accessible payment solution for people who often operate outside the traditional banking system. For many informal workers, receiving digital payments without expensive hardware or complex banking requirements could remove one of the biggest barriers to participating in South Africa’s digital economy.
Twala believes the wristband represents a significant shift in how everyday workers can access digital financial services.
“The Leruo Wristband represents a new era of financial inclusion by making digital payments simple, secure and accessible for everyone. Our mission is to ensure that every worker has the opportunity to receive payments instantly and participate in South Africa’s digital economy.”
Zakhaa Pay has rapidly established itself as one of South Africa’s fastest growing fintech companies. The business was recognised by Absa and Visa as the Most Disruptive Fintech in Shaping the Informal Economy at the Absa Commercial Payments Awards.
The company has also been named a finalist in the Nedbank Business Ignite 2025 competition, reflecting growing recognition for its efforts to develop practical payment technologies that support small businesses, township entrepreneurs and workers in the informal economy.
As South Africa embraces digital payments at an accelerating pace, innovations such as the Leruo NFC Wristband could help ensure that workers who have traditionally depended on cash are not left behind. For many, a simple tap may soon be the difference between missing out on income and getting paid instantly.
