Digital transformation of South Africa's tavern industry
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Samm Marshall and Rethabile Mohlala are joined by Jonathan Thomson, Executive Head: Commercial at Kazang to talk about Digital transformation of South Africa's tavern industry.
South Africa’s tavern sector, worth an estimated R40 billion to R60 billion a year and comprising more than 34,000 licensed tavern owners, plays a central role in township economies and community life. But technology adoption has lagged in this sector, with most taverns still operating on cash transactions and basic recordkeeping.
Fintech solutions are helping to change that picture, says Jonathan Thomson, Executive Head: Commercial at Kazang, the prepaid value-added services (VAS) and card acquiring business within JSE-listed fintech Lesaka Technologies. Modern fintech platforms are making it affordable for taverns to modernise their operations and increase efficiencies.
“Taverns play a central role in township life, offering social hubs to the community and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs,” says Thomson. “Yet most of these businesses remain cash-driven and reliant on informal processes and systems. Modern technologies offer tavern owners opportunities to increase their profitability.”
South Africa’s tavern sector, worth an estimated R40 billion to R60 billion a year and comprising more than 34,000 licensed tavern owners, plays a central role in township economies and community life. But technology adoption has lagged in this sector, with most taverns still operating on cash transactions and basic recordkeeping.
Fintech solutions are helping to change that picture, says Jonathan Thomson, Executive Head: Commercial at Kazang, the prepaid value-added services (VAS) and card acquiring business within JSE-listed fintech Lesaka Technologies. Modern fintech platforms are making it affordable for taverns to modernise their operations and increase efficiencies.
“Taverns play a central role in township life, offering social hubs to the community and creating hundreds of thousands of jobs,” says Thomson. “Yet most of these businesses remain cash-driven and reliant on informal processes and systems. Modern technologies offer tavern owners opportunities to increase their profitability.”
