QR payments are getting an upgrade in South Africa
Scanning to pay should be simple, but it often depends on the right app and the right code. South Africa’s QR upgrade targets the issues most people have learned to tolerate.
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Liz Thorne
South Africans already scan QR codes to pay, tip, split bills, and settle invoices, but the experience still depends on whose code it is and which app you use. Bank pricing also changes the maths, which is why PayShap fees still matter if instant payments form part of your daily money routine.
QR payments also come with somewhat of a trust problem in the real world, especially for small sellers who get pushed to “accept” a screenshot. Proof-of-payment scams exist because “initiated” is not the same as “settled”, and people lose stock or time in that gap.
South Africa’s Reserve Bank wants to tackle a different issue next: QR payment fragmentation. Shops often need multiple QR codes on the counter because major QR platforms do not always talk to each other, which means that customers end up hunting for the “right” app or walking away.
QR payments in South Africa work, but they often work in silos. You do the same action, scan, confirm, pay, yet the outcome depends on which provider issued the code, which rails sit behind it, and which wallet your phone opens first. That friction is not a user problem. It is a plumbing problem.
The upgrade is a standard, not a new app
The Reserve Bank published the QR+ Standard on 5 December 2025 as part of its Payments Ecosystem Modernisation (PEM) programme. The goal is interoperability, meaning one QR code can work across different payment service providers, payment methods, and stores of value.
A boring standard sounds like a snooze, but standards are the stuff that decides whether tech becomes normal life or a “download this first” chore. QR+ targets the messy middle where a merchant wants choice (bank app, wallet app, fintech app) and a customer wants certainty (scan once, pay once, done).
What changes at the counter
Interoperability can sound abstract until it reaches the point of sale. That is where there's the most QR friction.
A functional QR upgrade means:
- A single merchant QR code accepts payments from multiple banking and wallet apps.
- Fewer moments where customers hear “we only take that one”.
- Lower setup costs for small merchants who want digital payments without card hardware.
Where PayShap fits into the picture
PayShap launched in March 2023 as South Africa’s real-time, low-value payment platform. It focuses on immediate settlement between bank accounts.
QR capability has formed part of the industry roadmap for PayShap, with BankservAfrica confirming work to support QR-based initiation on PayShap rails.
Taken together, the roles split neatly. QR+ standardises how a QR code communicates intent. PayShap ensures the money is transferred immediately once that intent is confirmed. One fixes the front door. The other fixes what happens after the door opens.
The real upgrade is not scanning faster. It is knowing that once you scan, the payment completes without guesswork, delays, or follow-up messages.
QR still has a job, even with tap-to-pay everywhere
Tap-to-pay through phone wallets has grown rapidly, especially in formal retail. It is quick, familiar, and card-based protections still apply. QR payments continue to serve different moments:
- Paying from a laptop or desktop by scanning a code.
- Remote payments via invoices, messages, or social platforms.
- Low-cost acceptance for micro-merchants and informal traders.
Each method has different risks and dispute mechanics. Instant account payments prioritise speed, while card options prioritise reversibility. Problems arise when expectations do not match the payment type, which is why education around settlement is essential.
What to watch as QR+ rolls out
QR+ will not switch on overnight. Adoption depends on banks, payment providers, and merchants updating systems and aligning rules.
Practical signs of progress will appear before any public milestone:
- Fewer counters covered in QR stickers.
- Banking apps recognising more merchant codes without redirects.
- More consistent confirmation flows after payment.
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Liz Thorne
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