Mastercard: How collaboration can turn digital opportunities into growth for South African SMEs

Mastercard’s 2026 SME Confidence Index found that 55% of surveyed South African SMEs viewed a simple, seamless payment experience as an important growth opportunity, while 51% valued secure payment processing. Its 2026 South Africa Online Retail Study forecast online spending in South Africa of about 159 billion rand that year, with online retail accounting for about 10% of national retail sales, up from just 1% a decade earlier.