Peach Payments, a leading South African online payment has partnered with Kenya-based Sukhiba, a leading conversational commerce and CRM platform, to introduce an innovative solution for merchants to engage with customers and facilitate transactions through WhatsApp, a rapidly growing digital sales channel across Africa.
Building on Peach Payments’ established role as the second-largest online payment gateway in South Africa, the partnership with Sukhiba opens new possibilities for seamless integration of product catalogs, payment options, and delivery management— all within the familiar interface of WhatsApp. This integration provides an easy-to-use and highly effective tool for Peach Payments’ South African merchants, empowering them to streamline their operations and reach customers through a more personalized, direct channel.
Founded in 2012, Peach Payments has rapidly grown, expanding its presence into Kenya and Mauritius, and solidifying its position as a leader in the fintech space. The company’s $31 million Series A funding in 2022, led by Apis Partners, enabled further development of its product offering and geographical reach.
Additionally, Peach Payments’ acquisition of Operativa, a customer software development firm, earlier this year, underscores its commitment to enhancing its infrastructure and digital services for businesses across the continent.
Sukhiba, established in 2021 by Ananth Raj Gudipati and Abhinav Reddy, serves over 35,000 SMEs in Africa and other regions, including South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, Nigeria, and beyond, with a footprint expanding to India and Oman. Through Sukhiba, merchants can seamlessly upload product catalogs and manage their entire sales process—from product listings to payments and deliveries—directly through WhatsApp, making it a versatile tool for SMEs aiming to optimize their operations.
The partnership introduces South African merchants to Sukhiba’s robust functionalities, enabling them to offer customers flexible payment options, including card payments, EFT, and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL), ahead of key shopping events like Black Friday. Merchants will be able to leverage WhatsApp to drive engagement while managing their sales and tracking payments through Peach Payments’ comprehensive dashboard.
This collaboration reflects the increasing influence of conversational commerce, where businesses utilize messaging platforms like WhatsApp to offer more personalized customer interactions and streamlined transactions. Peach Payments’ CEO, Rahul Jain, emphasized the importance of this development, noting, “Our merchants now have a powerful new sales channel with enhanced payment flexibility, helping build trust and drive convenience in Africa’s digital economy.”
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Echoing this sentiment, Ananth Raj Gudipati, CEO of Sukhiba, remarked on the potential of the partnership, stating, “Peach Payments’ deep expertise and extensive network will accelerate the adoption of WhatsApp commerce and payment solutions in South Africa and other regions across the continent.”
With Africa’s fintech market projected to reach $65 billion by 2030, this partnership positions Peach Payments and Sukhiba at the forefront of digital payment solutions tailored to the unique needs of SMEs. As the use of conversational commerce continues to grow, small and medium-sized enterprises will find new opportunities to engage with customers, manage transactions, and scale their operations cost-effectively.
Looking ahead, both companies aim to expand further into key African markets, including Kenya and Nigeria, contributing to the broader digital transformation shaping commerce across the continent. This partnership enhances the digital commerce ecosystem by offering secure, scalable, and user-friendly payment solutions that meet the needs of businesses and consumers alike.
