Ozow, one of South Africa’s leading digital payment platforms, today announced the expansion of its PayShap Request offering. This strategic development strengthens Ozow’s role as a key enabler in the national payments ecosystem, with the addition of TymeBank as its second sponsor bank.

The partnership expands coverage and enhances resilience, reinforcing Ozow’s position as a single integration partner for merchants.  The addition of TymeBank as a sponsor bank builds on Ozow's first-mover advantage in enabling PayShap Request for merchants in July 2025.

This move supports the national objective of modernising South Africa’s payment system, a key pillar of the South African Reserve Bank’s Payment Ecosystem Modernisation programme.

By bringing a second sponsor bank into its network, Ozow is enhancing the resilience and accessibility of instant payments for both businesses and consumers. This development is particularly timely, as the industry works to address challenges such as inconsistent user experiences and slow adoption rates.

"Our collaboration with TymeBank marks a significant milestone in our commitment to driving financial inclusion and innovation. Our experience since launching PayShap Request in July has given us invaluable live data and insights,” says Rachel Cowan, interim CEO for Ozow.

“We are actively using this information to work with ecosystem players, including banks and regulators, to drive enhancements and ensure a seamless, secure, and accessible transactional method for all South Africans. The support of a digital-first, high-growth bank like TymeBank is a powerful endorsement of this approach,” she says.

TymeBank’s rapid ascent in the market, having surpassed 10 million customers as of December 2024, underscores its influence and alignment with Ozow’s mission.

The digital bank has demonstrated a strong commitment to driving PayShap adoption through continued innovation. Among the enabled banks on Ozow, it achieves the highest success rate for PayShap Request, thanks to its simplified authorisation process.

In addition, the bank has made PayShap payments free for its customers, positioning it as an accessible and cost-effective solution for instant, real-time interbank payments. This approach aligns with market trends showing growing demand for affordable, instant payment options.

This initiative also aligns with the recent rebrand of BankservAfrica to PayInc, a move that signals a broader focus on enabling participation and innovation beyond traditional banking.

As PayInc expands its role in the payments landscape, Ozow is further cementing its leadership in account-to-account payments in South Africa through the continued evolution of PayShap Request for merchants and customers.

This progress underscores Ozow’s position as a critical partner in realising the vision of a more connected and inclusive digital economy.