dLocal, a cross-border payment platform connecting global merchants to emerging markets, and inDrive, the global mobility and delivery platform, have announced the launch of card payments and local driver payouts in South Africa, covering local card collection, real-time payment splitting, and domestic disbursements through a single integration.
For ride-hailing companies, going cashless in emerging markets is rarely straightforward. South Africa’s ride-hailing market is projected to nearly triple by 2033, making it one of the fastest-growing mobility markets, and one where the shift to digital payments is well underway.
Cards account for 63% of all digital transactions, eWallets keep gaining ground, and cash is steadily losing share.
But serving both sides of a marketplace means splitting each fare between the driver and the platform in real time, paying drivers out through rails they actually use, and doing all of it through a single local integration.
This partnership makes it possible. Through dLocal’s infrastructure, inDrive can now accept local cards in-app, including real-time payouts via PayShap, split transactions automatically between the driver’s share and the platform fee, and pay out driver earnings through South African domestic rails.
Reducing reliance on cash also lowers exposure to fraud and improves security for drivers on the road.
Cash remains available as a payment method where it’s still the preferred option, making this an expansion of choice, not a replacement.
South Africa is the first market where companies have run this model end-to-end. dLocal’s coverage of local payment methods across 44+ markets, including local cards, mobile money, bank transfers, RTPs, and eWallets, means the same model can follow into additional markets across Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America, through a single connection already in place.
“South Africa is a key market for inDrive, and getting payments right here matters, not only for the passengers who want a convenient cashless experience but also for the drivers who depend on fast, reliable payouts,” said Ashif Black, Country Representative in South Africa at inDrive. “dLocal gives us the ability to do both, in one integration, in a market where that combination wasn’t available before.”
“Making payments work in emerging markets takes more than a technical integration. It takes local infrastructure, local relationships, and an understanding of how money actually moves in each market,” said Barrie Swart, Country Manager (South Africa) at dLocal. “This partnership in South Africa is a strong example of what becomes possible when all of that is in place.”
