dLocal and Access Partnership jointly released a new analysis showing that South Africa is the clear leader in Sub-Saharan Africa’s use of the payment network.
In its new report, ‘Decoding Cross-Border Payment Flows in Sub-Saharan Africa’, that was presented at the G20 summit on Cross Border Payments, dLocal and Access Partnership aggregated and anonymised over 665 million transactions across 14 Sub-Saharan African markets between November 2023 and March 2025.
South Africa represents 78 percent of the total transaction value on the dLocal platform across the region during this period.
Key South Africa findings:
Scale and growth: South Africa shows 125% average year-over-year growth in transaction value processed on the platform.
Payment mix: Debit and credit cards consistently dominate by value share, anchoring everyday online retail. Bank transfers and Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) have smaller shares but carry higher average ticket sizes.
Average transaction values: Card average transaction values declined modestly over the study period, consistent with the broadening use of the dLocal platform for more routine, lower-ticket online purchases.
Category mix: eCommerce represents the largest spending category, accounting for more than 80% of the value.
The dLocal platform also plays an important role in facilitating payments for Corporate Services & B2B SaaS (8.2%) and Transportation & Mobility (8.6%).
Merchant breadth: Activity spans 44 unique merchants, indicating a diversified retail footprint.
The report’s authors, Pedro Arnt, dLocal CEO, Pardon Mujakachi, vice president-operations (EMEA), Matthew Sharp (PhD), and Samantha Torrance (PhD), Access Partnership, note that these high-frequency signals can help guide policy and product choices.
For example, the data suggests that consumer protections and disclosures could be matched to the specific payment method and the size of the purchase.
The analysis also notes clear seasonal spikes in e-commerce that businesses can use to plan checkout options, fraud controls, and capacity.
Barrie Swart, South Africa Country Manager at dLocal, said:
“This report reinforces that South Africa is Sub-Saharan Africa’s powerhouse for cross-border eCommerce. As we host the G20 Leaders’ Summit, we have a unique opportunity to lead by example – championing clear, consultative, and evidence-based policymaking that reflects the real needs of consumers and businesses across the continent.”
