Happy Pay integrates zero-deposit instalment payments into Ozow's merchant network across South Africa

The partnership allows Ozow's merchants to offer interest-free Buy Now Pay Later at checkout without additional development work or changes to their existing payment setup

Wesley Billett, CEO of Happy Pay

Happy Pay, a South African fintech startup that offers interest-free instalment payments funded through advertising rather than consumer fees, has integrated its Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) service into the payment infrastructure of Ozow, a South African payments platform that connects businesses to more than 47 million bank account holders and processes transactions across e-commerce, in-store, QR code and payment link channels.

The integration means that merchants already using Ozow for payment processing can activate Happy Pay's BNPL option without additional development work, new contracts or changes to their existing checkout configuration. Once switched on, their customers can split purchases into interest-free instalments with no deposit required. The cost of the instalment plan is covered through Happy Pay's advertising-subsidised model, where merchant partnerships fund the service rather than the consumer paying interest or fees.

Happy Pay raised a US$5 million seed round in March 2026 and previously announced a similar integration with Peach Payments, another South African payments company. Ozow, which raised US$48 million in a Series B round in late 2021, has separately partnered with Nigeria's Duplo on cross-border payment and expense management services. The two companies are each expanding their integration networks, and this partnership connects Happy Pay's BNPL capability to Ozow's merchant base, which includes retailers and consumer brands operating across South Africa.

The practical effect for merchants is that BNPL becomes available as a payment method within the same flow they already use, without requiring a separate provider relationship or technical integration. For consumers, the checkout experience includes the option to pay in instalments at zero cost, which both companies say can increase conversion rates and average transaction values for the merchants offering it.

"BNPL is no longer a niche payment method. It is becoming a standard expectation at checkout. By partnering with Ozow, we are able to extend this capability to a broader merchant base, while maintaining a seamless and responsible customer experience," said Wesley Billett, CEO of Happy Pay.

"Merchants are looking for practical ways to improve performance at checkout without adding complexity," said Lyle Eckstein, Chief Commercial Officer at Ozow. "This partnership enables exactly that, giving merchants access to a proven payment method that can drive conversion and unlock new customer segments, while remaining fully aligned with Ozow's single integration approach."