One of our biggest highlights in 2023 was the addition of Capitec Pay into our Payfast by Network payment offering. This first of its kind, open banking payment method from Capitec Bank enables their account holders to easily make secure payments via their banking app, without the need of a credit card or debit card.
As part of our strategy of helping to drive financial inclusion in South Africa, we decided to partner with Capitec Pay to raise awareness of this innovative new open banking payment method amongst our merchants and their customers. The merchant element of the campaign encouraged them to promote the payment method on their social media channels between 7 November and 31 December 2023 for the chance to win one of two R30,000 cash prizes in a lucky draw. Meanwhile, the consumer element encouraged online shoppers to pay with Capitec Pay via Payfast by Network for the chance to win one of 30, R2,000 cash prizes.
As expected, the campaign was very successful in driving sales for our merchants as we saw an impressive uptake in Captec Pay payments being processed. This was also partly due to Capitec Pay being made more prominent on the payments page and a notification informing online shoppers about the competition. The campaign resulted in customers who would not have originally completed the checkout process, transacting safely and securely through Capitec Pay and Payfast by Network.
At the end of the campaign, two of our lucky participating merchants were randomly selected in a lucky draw: Patrick Kitoko from MK Bed Linen and Suné de Bruyn from Bubblegumfringe. Following their wins, we chatted to them to find out more about their stores and how they’ll be using their R30,000 winnings to grow their businesses.
MK Bed Linen
Patrick’s story is a heartwarming one of a husband-and-wife duo who, with a lot of hard work and persistence, were able to turn their passion into a profitable business.
Back in 2013 the couple’s interest in linen was ignited when they started making their own sheets using a hand sewing machine. “We noticed a big gap in the market where our linen could be appreciated, and thankfully our hard work has paid off,” said Patrick.
With a strategy in place, in 2018 Patrick and his wife were ready to establish their own, fully-fledged linen business, MK Bed Linen, which officially started trading in February 2019. Like many more traditional businesses, however, what started as a brick-and-mortar store quickly pivoted to an ecommerce offering in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic that become a global phenomenon.
“When setting up our online store we chose Payfast as our payment solution because of how trusted and easy it was to sign up and get transacting. Our overall experience has been itch-free, and having Payfast has built our reputation and confidence among our customers as they can shop knowing that all transactions done through Payfast are 100% secure,” said Patrick.
“My R30,000 prize money will make a big difference to our cash flow, with a big part of it going towards purchasing stock. Thank you Capitec and Payfast!” concluded Patrick.
Bubblegumfringe
Bubblegumfringe is an online store that was founded out of a passion for crafting. As an avid crafter and journaling enthusiast, (and after a lot of conversations with friends and other like-minded peers), it was obvious to Suné that there was a gap in the market for specific journaling items and paper goods that were not readily available in South Africa at an affordable price.
“After doing some research and planning, I decided to take matters into my own hands and to make awesome, affordable scrapbooking and journaling items easily available to other like-minded people,” said Suné
Suné’s online store started small in 2016 with only a few product listings. In 2020, during the pandemic, Bubblegumfringe quickly gained popularity among the journaling community as people searched for ways to relieve stress and anxiety.
“There were a lot of online conversations going around about anxiety and keeping a good mindset during COVID-19. Journaling and crafting can be a great outlet to relieve stress and anxiety,” said Suné.
“Bubblegumfringe now offers a wide range of unique, fun crafting and journaling goodies that helps people express their creativity and add a little cheer to their day,” continued Suné.
One of the unique things about Bubblegumfringe is that the platform also features products from local artists and illustrators. “We collaborate with these talented individuals to bring more locally bred products to our audience. This not only supports other local businesses but also provides customers with access to more unique and one-of-a-kind products,” said Suné.
When Suné started building her online store, she only heard and read good things about Payfast and how consumers trusted the payment solution. “So, I thought I’d give it a try, and I haven’t used any other service since. I love how easy it was to integrate into my site and my customers love the convenience of the different payment options available. From a merchant perspective, the Payfast fees are also relatively low compared to competitors,” concluded Suné.
With the R30,000 prize money, Suné is planning on increasing her market reach by improving her online store presence, expanding her product range and setting up stalls at gift markets. One day her goal is to open a brick-and-mortar store.
The possibilities of open banking
Since we launched Capitec Pay as a payment method in early 2023, we’ve seen a massive uptake in online shoppers selecting it at checkout. It’s evident that open banking is opening ecommerce to new markets and enabling shoppers to easily and securely complete the checkout process.
If you don’t have Capitec Pay available as a payment option you’re missing out on a massive, growing customer base.