Payments on your terms: Introducing Stitch for consumers

Until recently, Stitch has focused on building scalable payments infrastructure for businesses in South Africa. We’ve devoted our efforts to developing the most reliable payments solutions possible, to better connect South African businesses to the financial system, and their customers to those businesses. That work continues to be our focus. And today, we're taking it one step further.

Our latest launch is designed to meet the needs of the real driver behind payments innovation at Stitch: the everyday South Africans that need a reliable way to pay into all the businesses they love. 

For consumers, seamless payments is never the destination. It’s the enabler that powers the real moments in life that matter. The more control customers have over their ability to pay, the better understanding they have of their finances, and the fewer barriers they face, the more power they have to make life happen, on their terms. Their experience with all the businesses they rely on will be better, too.

Introducing the Stitch account, a dedicated offering for South African consumers designed to give them more control over their finances, a better understanding of their spending and payments and the ability to earn with every rand they spend. Anyone can create a free account and get started.

We’ve also launched stitch.me this week,  alongside our first television campaign, which introduces all the ways 6 million+ South Africans have already been relying on Stitch for seamless payments.

What is Stitch for consumers?

The Stitch account is a single destination that gives South Africans more control over how they pay and how they manage their finances. From one account, they can track every transaction made with Stitch, understand their credit score, manage Pay Later plans, save payment details and earn rewards every time they pay with Stitch. There are even more features on the way.

The platform builds on the work Stitch has done over the last several years. Over 6 million South Africans are already paying with Stitch, at some of the largest and best-known businesses in the country, across all locally accepted payment methods. In addition, our Pay Later offering launched just over a month ago, and is already seeing significant growth as consumers demand the ability to split purchases over instalments at checkout. 

The timing reflects where South African consumers are today. According to our 2026 How South Africans Shop report, 93.3% of consumers tried a new payment method in the past year, and nearly 39% used Buy Now Pay Later for the first time in that period. Convenience is now the single most important factor in how South Africans choose to pay, ahead of security, rewards and speed. There's a clear appetite for a smarter, more unified payments experience, and importantly, proper budgeting and financial control remains top of mind for many South Africans.

The idea behind the campaign

Our TVC campaign, which kicked off during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, was designed to introduce Stitch to consumers in a way that reflects what we believe: that payments are not the destination but the enabler that makes the real moments that matter possible.

We featured a wide range of Stitch clients, who represent the diversity in the way South Africans choose to spend and what matters most to them - from Takealot and Mr D, to rain, FlySafair, Lekkeslaap, Old School, Fieldbar, Galxboy, North Face, Fox Racing, Plato, OneDayOnly, Burnt, Sealand and more. Watch here.

Each of these businesses runs payments infrastructure powered by Stitch. When a customer pays with Stitch at any of them, they can track, manage and earn on their spend through their Stitch account.

The easier and more reliable it is to pay, the less distance there is between what someone wants or dreams and what they can turn into a reality. That's true for consumers, and it's the same principle that drives the work we do for merchants.

What this means in practice

For South Africans, stitch.me offers a free account with tools to track spending, stay on top of credit health, access Pay Later and earn rewards on every payment. The rewards programme adds value each time a customer chooses to pay with Stitch, whether online or in person.

For the merchants and businesses we work with, the consumer platform strengthens the case for offering multiple payment methods. When customers have a Stitch account, they come to checkout with payment details saved, plans tracked and preferences set. That reduces friction and supports the seamless experience that businesses work hard to deliver.

South Africa's payments landscape has shifted considerably in a short space of time. Pay by bank, Capitec Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay have all grown rapidly, and consumer expectations have moved with them. The Stitch account is designed to keep pace with that, and to give South Africans the tools to stay in control as their options continue to grow.

FAQs

What is the Stitch account?

The Stitch account is a free consumer platform from Stitch that lets South Africans track all transactions made with Stitch, view their credit score, manage Pay Later plans, save payment details and earn rewards on purchases made with Stitch.

Is the Stitch account free to use?

Yes. Creating a Stitch account at stitch.me is free.

What is Stitch Pay Later?

Stitch Pay Later allows consumers to split a purchase into two to six monthly instalments at participating merchants. Customers need to be approved for a spend limit before completing their first Pay Later purchase. Once approved, future purchases are fast and frictionless.

Which businesses accept Stitch payments?

Stitch powers payments for a wide range of South African businesses, including Takealot, rain, FlySafair, Galxboy, Vans, Old School, Mr D and Fieldbar, among many others. Customers can earn rewards on purchases made with Stitch at participating merchants. The full list is visible in the Stitch account.

What payment methods does Stitch support for consumers?

Stitch supports a broad range of payment methods, including card payments, Pay by bank, Capitec Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Pay Later.