efficacy payments (pty) ltd

Efficacy Payments (Pty) Ltd is a South African financial technology company founded in 2016 to facilitate the transition from cash to electronic payments in both formal and informal retail sectors. The company provides online payment solutions for businesses, including card acceptance and a service that allows customers to deposit cash into their bank accounts at retail till points. Its client base includes banks, retailers, insurers, and SMEs.

A significant milestone for Efficacy Payments occurred in June 2021 when the South African Reserve Bank (SARB) designated it as a Designated Clearing System Participant (DCSP). This status, a rarity for non-bank entities, authorized the company to clear card transactions directly without relying on intermediary banks, a crucial step in supporting financial inclusion for underserved markets. This designation enables direct connections to major card networks like Visa and Mastercard.

In July 2025, Efficacy Payments was acquired by Stitch Group, a prominent African payments infrastructure company. This acquisition was a strategic move for Stitch, allowing it to integrate Efficacy's direct clearing capabilities into its own platform. As a result, the combined entity can offer a comprehensive, end-to-end card payment product, managing the entire transaction lifecycle from gateway and switching to acquiring and settlement. This vertical integration provides merchants with benefits such as cost savings from lower fees, improved transaction conversion rates, real-time reporting, and faster access to new features.

Keywords: payment solutions, card acquiring, cash displacement, designated clearing system participant, push payments, financial inclusion, payment enablement, point of sale, card acceptance, retail payments, electronic payments, fintech, South Africa, payment processing, merchant services, transaction processing, Deposit @ Till, end-to-end payments