Payfast Data Shows 22% of SA Merchants Are Under 35

In Short

• Payfast says 22% of its South African merchants are under 35.
• Over the past year, 36.63% of new merchant sign-ups were also from this age group.
• Among Payfast merchants under 35, more than 42% are women.

What Happened

Payfast shared new platform data showing a growing share of young business owners in South Africa. Payfast said 22% of its local merchants are under 35. It also said more than a third of all new merchant sign-ups in the past year came from this age group.

The company pointed to growth in digital-first businesses, meaning companies that start online rather than opening a physical store first. Examples include online education, software development, e-commerce, and digital marketing services.

Payfast also broke out category growth among younger merchants. It said the fastest growing areas include advertising, computer programming and data processing, schools and educational services, and automotive parts and accessory stores.

The company said online commerce among younger merchants grew by 5.5% over the past 12 months. It linked this to South Africa’s e-commerce market entering a new growth phase, with stronger operations and higher consumer trust.

Mpho Sadiki, Managing Director for Merchant Services, Africa at Payfast and Network International, said payment platforms help merchants offer more ways to pay. In practice, that can reduce failed checkouts and speed up cash collection.

Why It Matters

For South African SMEs, payments are often the bottleneck, not the product. A “payment platform” is the software that lets a business accept card or bank payments online, like a digital till for the internet.

The data suggests more young founders are using digital commerce to lower startup costs. Instead of paying for retail space and equipment upfront, they can sell online using a phone or laptop.

It also signals broader participation in entrepreneurship. With 42% of under-35 merchants being women, digital channels may be making it easier for more people to start and run a business.

The open question is what comes next: access to funding, business tools, and reliable payment acceptance as these merchants scale.