Peach Payments, one of Africa’s leading digital payments providers, has launched real-time clearance (RTC) payouts for merchants in South Africa. The new capability allows businesses to top up their float and disburse payments within minutes, significantly reducing delays in settlement. According to the company, this marks a major step toward improving efficiency and automation in the local payments landscape.
Enhancing Efficiency Through Automation
Rahul Jain, CEO and co-founder of Peach Payments, described the rollout as a pivotal upgrade for the platform’s merchants. The revamped payout system integrates automation, batch handling, and instant transfers, which minimize manual processes and reduce the risk of errors. Jain emphasized that this solution not only strengthens the company’s local offering but also lays the groundwork for regional expansion.
Merchant Benefits and Cost Reduction
With RTC payouts, merchants can conveniently top up their float using settlement funds or electronic transfers, ensuring smooth liquidity management. Recipients of payouts typically access their funds within 90 seconds, marking a sharp improvement from traditional banking timelines. Peach Payments has also introduced the solution at roughly half the standard merchant transaction fee, offering businesses a more cost-effective tool for financial operations.
Streamlined Processes and API Support
The company’s new payout solution comes with automated reconciliation, CSV file uploads, and batch payments that remain functional even if a merchant’s bank system is experiencing downtime. Using Peach Payments’ API, businesses can seamlessly manage bulk payments, identify failed transactions, and reprocess them without manual intervention. For merchants preferring a simpler approach, the Peach Payments dashboard provides a user-friendly interface for single or multiple payouts.
Versatility Across Business Use Cases
Peach Payments highlights that the system is designed for industries requiring frequent or large-scale disbursements. This includes businesses managing customer refunds, gig worker payments, and commission-based payouts, as well as companies handling salaries, bonuses, and reimbursements. Additionally, sectors such as lending, insurance, and e-commerce can leverage RTC payouts for loan disbursements, claim settlements, and customer reimbursements.
Customer Success Stories
Early adopters are already reporting measurable benefits. Fred Gyekye Ofosu, Product Operations Manager at global payroll provider Cadana Pay, said the switch to RTC payouts cut costs by 50% and eliminated hidden fees and costly intermediaries. He added that payouts that previously took up to four days are now completed within hours, delivering a 75% time saving and improving both internal workflows and customer satisfaction.
Rapid Deployment and Market Expansion
The system is designed for swift activation, with API-enabled merchants able to integrate and go live in as little as two days. For businesses preferring not to use the API, the feature is available directly through the Peach Payments dashboard. While the service is currently exclusive to South Africa, the company plans to expand to other markets depending on regulatory approvals.
Future Developments
Jain confirmed that Peach Payments is working on extending the payout functionality to additional payment methods. This includes enabling refunds for EFT transactions, as well as future integrations with e-wallet and voucher systems. These developments are intended to broaden customer access and open up new partnership opportunities across Africa.
With the launch of real-time clearance payouts, Peach Payments is addressing a long-standing challenge for South African businesses: slow and costly payment processes. By combining automation, speed, and reduced fees, the company is empowering merchants to better serve their customers and employees. As expansion plans roll out, Peach Payments aims to position itself as a leader in next-generation payment solutions across the continent.