Major South African Supermarket Chains Accept Bitcoin Payments (Report)

One of the largest supermarket chains in South Africa – Pick n Pay – has reportedly enabled customers to settle their bills in cryptocurrencies, including bitcoin. The offer covers 39 of the company’s stores located throughout the country.

The National Children’s Advocacy Center also jumped on the bandwagon, allowing people to donate digital assets.

The latest to catch the wave

Pick n Pay hinted at the new payment option months ago when it tried it in ten of its stores. According to a recent coverage, the service is now live and expanding to a total of 39 stores.

The company partnered with Electrum and CryptoConvert to embrace the asset class. Customers can pay their grocery bills using Bitcoin Lightning at the checkout, the firm explained:

“The transaction is as easy and secure as swiping a debit or credit card. Customers scan a QR code from the app and accept the rand conversion rate on their smartphone at the time of transaction. The service fee for each transaction is minimal, costing the customer an average of 70c, and taking less than 30 seconds.”

Carel van Wyk – founder of CryptoConvert – claimed that crypto payments are still in their “infancy” in South Africa. However, cryptocurrencies have become very popular among the local population, and similar moves could fuel the future progress of the domestic monetary network.

Another organization that embraced crypto as a means of settlement is the National Children’s Advocacy Center. It teamed up with “Giving-Blocks” to become the first non-profit organization in Huntsville to accept digital asset donations.

The supported assets are over 90, including bitcoin and ether. The entity outlined that those who prefer to make a crypto donation will receive tax benefits.

“For us, that’s the equivalent of a monetary donation that turns into therapy sessions for kids, parenting classes, medical exams. It turns into hope and healing and justice for kids who have been hurt by the people who were supposed to take care of them,” said Crypto Project Coordinator – Hannah Alderson .

Some of the earlier examples

Luxury hotel Palazzo Versace Dubai partnered with Binance in September to allow guests to pay for stays, dining and spa services in BTC, ETH and BNB.

“Palazzo Versace’s ability to now accept payments in virtual assets is a reflection of how the hospitality industry in Dubai is at the forefront of innovation as we move into a more digital world,” said Nadeem Ladki, head of business development for Binance in MENA. at the time.

Ukrainian retailer Varus, which has over 100 locations in the Eastern European country, is also part of this list. It merged with Binance Pay and enabled residents of Kyiv, Dnipro and other cities to settle grocery bills in crypto.