Nuvei Secures South African License to Expand Global Payments Platform

 | 

The authorization came from the Payments Association of South Africa, according to the release.

With this authorization, Nuvei can extend its local acquiring and payment acceptance infrastructure, transaction data and operational controls to South Africa, which is one of Africa’s largest digital commerce markets, the release said.

The expansion brings the number of markets in which Nuvei offers its local acquiring infrastructure to 52. It also advanced Nuvei’s “Every Payment Everywhere” strategy, which aims to support global brands and local businesses by optimizing payment performance through its global payments platform, per the release.

Nuvei’s offerings in South Africa will support both international businesses that are entering the region and South African companies that are expanding globally, Nuvei Chair and CEO Phil Fayer said in the release.

“Commerce is global, but payment performance is local,” Fayer said. “Our expansion into South Africa is another step towards giving businesses access to locally optimized payment capabilities at global scale.”

Nuvei announced in June that it plans to acquire Payoneer for $2.75 billion to create a global platform for local and cross-border commerce. The companies said they expect the transaction to close in mid-2027, subject to customary closing conditions.

The planned acquisition will combine Nuvei’s payment acceptance capabilities and Payoneer’s cross-border payouts, multi-currency accounts and banking network, same-day and real-time settlement in 150 markets, and regulatory footprint across major jurisdictions around the world, the companies said.

Nuvei said in December 2025 that it received approval to operate under the European Union’s new regulatory framework for cryptocurrency. The company got a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) license under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.

The PYMNTS Intelligence report “The Cross-Border Opportunity: What Global Sourcing by US SMBs Means for Payment Providers” found that 57% of U.S. small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) buy goods or materials from overseas suppliers.

The report also found that 43% of U.S. small businesses with global suppliers want faster settlement, 37% want lower fees and better foreign exchange, 32% want security and fraud protection, and 27% want cost transparency.