The spaza counter has always been a payments system. It handles credit, change, trust, messages, remittances, airtime and the small negotiations that keep a neighbourhood moving. Fintech did not invent that. It arrived with cleaner screens and faster confirmations, then had to learn the same local rule: money moves best where trust already exists.
Wallets, instant EFT, card machines, QR codes and app-based transfers are useful because they solve real problems. They reduce cash on hand. They let a seller confirm payment before releasing goods. They help families send money quickly. They give small traders a record that can make stock planning and credit conversations less vague.
But every new rail brings a new way to be confused. A fake proof of payment, a reversed transfer, a phishing link, a QR code swapped at a stall, a customer who does not understand fees, a merchant who cannot reconcile three apps at the end of a long day. The technology is modern; the risk still arrives as pressure and urgency.
Money moves best where trust already exists.
The practical habit is boring and powerful: verify inside the app, not from a screenshot. Separate business and personal wallets where possible. Write down which payment methods carry fees. Teach staff when to release goods. Keep a small cash plan for the day the network, battery or device refuses to cooperate.
For customers, fintech changes expectations. The person selling vetkoek, fixing phones or braiding hair may now accept three payment types, send a receipt and market through WhatsApp. That can make informal trade feel more formal, but it does not remove the relationships underneath it.
The future of money in South Africa will not be decided only in bank apps. It will be decided at counters, taxis, salons, church markets and family chats, wherever people ask the oldest payments question in a new form: did the money really arrive?
