The push to make contactless and digital payment options more widely available in South Africa has been a massive talking point over the last year.

While South Africa’s economy is still largely cash based, there is indeed an appetite for contactless payment solutions with Mastercard reporting in April 2020 that 75 percent of South Africans are using contactless solutions.

Of course, more payment options are always welcome and today Standard Bank has announced that it has enabled UnionPay International contactless payments on its point-of-sale devices.

The bank says that it has seen a drastic increase in the number of contactless payments made by its clients.

“We have seen contactless payment spend grow by 272% year-on-year, as we see our clients’ preferences shift towards digital alternatives for payment, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Through our relationships with UnionPay, we continue to offer easy and convenient payment solutions for our clients, including simply tapping their cards,” head of card and payments at Standard Bank South Africa, Nelisa Zulu.

UnionPay cards are widely accepted in South Africa in all sectors, effectively meeting the diverse purchasing needs of UnionPay cardholders living and visiting South Africa.

UnionPay’s acceptance network has expanded to 180 countries and regions in recent years, with cards issued in 70 countries and regions, including over 10 African countries.

“We are grateful to further extend our cooperation with Standard Bank,” general manager for UnionPay International in Africa, Luping Zhang said in a statement.

“We encourage UnionPay cardholders to use contactless payments to minimise the impact of the pandemic on their daily life,” the GM concluded.