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.”

Cross-border remittances remain one of the most complex and fragmented areas of global payments, particularly across emerging-market corridors where delivery uncertainty, high costs, and infrastructure gaps continue to affect operators and recipients alike.

With the global remittance market projected to grow to $270.81 billion by 2032, the pressure on money transfer operators to deliver fast, reliable payouts at scale has never been greater.

Through this partnership, dLocal connects National Exchange to local payment infrastructure across 18 markets through a single integration, removing the need to manage multiple local providers or entities. National Exchange can settle payouts in local currency, with faster delivery times and higher conversion rates across all supported corridors.

In Africa, National Exchange customers can send funds via bank transfers and eWallets across Nigeria, with access to all major banks, as well as Senegal, Ivory Coast, and Egypt. In APAC, recipients in the Philippines can receive funds via GCash, Maya, GrabPay, and a wide range of other local eWallets.

Across Latin America, recipients in Brazil can access funds instantly through PIX, available around the clock, as well as via bank transfers in Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Paraguay.

“Our customers expect fast, transparent, and dependable remittances,” said Mr. Ifath Farazy, CFO at National Exchange. “With dLocal’s local rails and coverage, we strengthen payout reliability and reach, improving delivery times and ensuring recipients can access funds through the methods they use most.”

“Remittance operators are under real pressure to deliver,” said Martin Sapiurka, head of Remittances at dLocal. “Their customers are sending money to family members who depend on it arriving quickly and in full. Working with National Exchange, we’re making sure that last mile works reliably, whether that’s an instant PIX transfer in Brazil, a mobile wallet in Ghana, or a bank deposit in Morocco. That’s what local rails are for.”

This comprehensive guide is meticulously curated for international businesses, blending deep data analysis with authentic, on-the-ground insights to provide the understanding needed to expand into the world’s fastest-growing economies, especially given their projection to drive 65% of global growth by 2035.

The 2025 dLocal Emerging Markets Payments Handbook delves into the complex landscape of preferred alternative payment methods (APMs), consumer behaviours, industry shifts, and regulatory updates across Africa & the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

It outlines key trends on how people’s payment habits will evolve, offering unparalleled insights into the opportunities emerging markets present for businesses and consumers alike.

What’s inside:

• In-depth analysis of high-growth markets: Gain a deep understanding of demographics and payment ecosystems across Africa & the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America, empowering readers with the tools needed to unlock vast potential.
• The rise of Alternative Payment Methods (APMs): Explore how APMs like eWallets, real-time payments (RTPs), BNPL, cash, and bank transfers are becoming the primary way to pay, not just alternatives.
• Regional trends and projections: Discover evolving payment trends and behaviors, including the surge of mobile money in East and West Africa, the dominance of eWallets in Asia-Pacific (accounting for 70% of eCommerce payments), and the rapid adoption of real-time payments in Latin America, projected to see the world’s fastest growth by 2027 (29% CAGR).
• Strategic insights into local realities: Understand how markets like Nigeria—with its youthful, fast-growing population—Brazil, through its Pix-driven transformation, and Pakistan, with a vast unbanked base, are among the local forces reshaping the future of digital commerce.
• Regulatory evolution and innovation: Learn about the proactive regulatory environments fostering innovation and laying the groundwork for more inclusive and efficient digital finance.

“The most significant growth story in global commerce isn’t unfolding in traditional centers; it’s taking shape in the dynamic, fast-growing economies of the Global South,” said Pedro Arnt, CEO of dLocal. “With 85% of the global population residing in emerging markets and their middle class projected to double by 2034, the opportunities are immense. However, these markets are incredibly diverse and fragmented, with digital demand rising fast and a diverse array of local payment methods rewriting the rules of engagement. This Handbook is designed to help businesses navigate this intricate landscape and truly unlock the future of payments.”

dLocal’s 2025 Emerging Markets Payments Handbook is the essential guide to the future of payments, combining data-driven insights with local expertise.

dLocal’s Emerging Markets Payment Handbook is here.

dLocal powers local payments in emerging markets, connecting global enterprise merchants with billions of emerging market consumers across APAC, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa. 

dLocal, a technology-first payments platform enabling global enterprise merchants to connect with billions of consumers in emerging markets, today announced the official launch of a new all-in-one payment solution to manage global platform payments in one place.

dLocal for Platforms is an end-to-end payment solution for marketplaces, on-demand services, and any other platform business models.

Harsh banking policies and limited foreign exchange in African markets make it difficult for locals to access international products. The lack of local currency options on some platforms exacerbates the issue, leaving African consumers isolated from the global community.

“We understand that the payment system in Africa is different and more fragmented,” said Moses Sule, Head of Growth, Africa at dLocal.

“This is why we have dedicated resources to solidify our local footprint and workforce on-ground. Because of our understanding of the terrain, we know the important payment methods that the people in the region want to pay with, and we integrate those. We’ve built a playbook.”

The new solution allows the platform to onboard sellers, service providers, or contractors onto the platform itself, while dLocal has them verified before paying out. It also enables the platform to accept payments on behalf of its users, split the payments between one or more users, deduct costs as needed, and hold funds until payout. Funds can be moved within the platform to debit or credit funds.

In addition to facilitating international purchases for local consumers, dLocal’s services also enable Africans in the diaspora to send money back home with ease. Remittances to sub-Saharan Africa grew by 5% to $53 billion last year, making it a significant source of international financing.

“We are connecting Africa to the global economy,” Moses added. “We become the payment option for them, whether in terms of receiving remittances from the diaspora into Africa or in terms of Africans being able to spend internationally.”

dLocal for Platforms, initially soft-launched to a small group of customers, is a scalable, secure, and seamless solution to any platform business model operating in emerging markets. It provides the fastest and easiest way to  accept payments and make payouts to sub-accounts within the same platform.

Of particular significance, dLocal for Platforms utilizes one single API integration to allow users to pay in local currency as well as distribute and split payments to any number of users, while automatically setting fees or commissions before paying out the final amount.

dLocal for Platforms offers a complete suite to manage the platform’s payments from one place, including consolidated reporting, refund and chargeback management.

Notable features and benefits of the platform include:

• Fast onboarding
• Scalable payments
• Multi-country support
• Ease of use
• Security and reliability

dLocal for Platforms is already live and ready to use and available on dLocal’s website.

“We have started a promising journey in Argentina. dLocal brings a flexible product and a willingness to continue developing features our merchants need. This flexibility can also be a lever to potentially expand our partnership to other markets such as Mexico and Brazil”, said Rodrigo Rivera, CSO of Nuvemshop, the leading ecommerce platform in Latin America that powers more than 108,000 brands looking to launch, develop, and promote their own online businesses.

Federico Mazzoli, VP Product at dLocal, explained that the new solution, designed to overcome the complex process of receiving and distributing payments from different countries, to different users, will be particularlybeneficial for online marketplaces, ride-sharing companies, eCommerce on social media platforms and social media ads.

“We developed dLocal for Platforms as a white-label payment solution,” said Federico Mazzoli of dLocal. “No need to connect to hundreds of different processors and way less hassle when making payments to other merchants or sellers. We focused on this long-standing complexity and figured out how to simplify the process through our platform, giving merchants that peace of mind when it comes to payments.”

By integrating the dominant payment methods in the various markets they operate, dLocal has made it easier for remittances to enter the country, providing an essential service for the African economy.

dLocal has successfully expanded its reach to over 2 billion consumers across 40 emerging market countries, by accepting more than 900 local payment methods.