Most SMEs Use Digital Payments, Few Integrate Tools
Visa's Pay and Get Paid 2026 report finds only 41% of South African small and medium enterprises use an integrated payment and business platform.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Financial Planning
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Visa has published its Pay and Get Paid 2026 report on South African small and medium enterprises (SMEs), finding that the vast majority of surveyed SMEs accept and make digital payments. However, only four in 10 use an integrated solution that connects payments with broader business management.
Why it matters
Many SMEs manage financial and operational tasks separately from their payment activity, creating friction in administration. The report suggests integrated platforms could also help financial institutions deepen SME relationships and offer more relevant lending over time.
Visa's survey of South African SMEs found 41% currently use an integrated payment and business platform, while 81% find an all-in-one solution appealing. Among non-users, 16% consider such tools too expensive, 14% rely on manual processes they consider sufficient, and 11% believe their business is too small to need one.
The players
Visa
Visa is a global payments technology company that operates one of the world's largest card payment networks and publishes research on digital payment trends.
The details
Among surveyed SMEs, 27% cite challenges tracking outstanding invoices, 27% cite challenges keeping financial records organised, and 23% cite challenges keeping payroll records organised. Some businesses juggle multiple systems to run their operations, and payments are disconnected from the operational tasks that follow them.
Timeline
2026 - Visa releases the Pay and Get Paid 2026 report on South African SMEs.
Market Dynamics
The report extends Visa's Pay and Get Paid research series, which tracks how South African SMEs adopt digital payments. The 2026 findings shift focus from payment acceptance to the gap between taking payments and managing the business around them, a distinction the series has not previously isolated.
Small business owners who still track invoices, payroll and records separately may find integrated tools reduce administrative load and errors. Owners weighing cost should note that 16% of non-users cite expense as the barrier, so comparing platform fees against time saved is a practical step.
The takeaway
Reviewing how your business handles invoicing, payroll and payments in one place can reveal inefficiencies worth fixing. Comparing the cost of an integrated tool against the time currently spent on manual processes is a useful starting point.
Further reading
For broader context on managing business finances, see Financial Planning in South Africa.
Source note: This article includes information reported by IT-Online.
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Would you switch to one tool that handles payments and business records together?
