South Africa's retail sector is set to expand its Bitcoin payment options, as MoneyBadger secures $400K in funding to scale operations.
MoneyBadger, a South African crypto payments platform, is currently expanding rapidly and actively forming partnerships to grow its presence and impact. The company has raised $400,000 in pre-seed funding led by P1 Ventures to scale Bitcoin payment infrastructure across more than 1,600 South African retail outlets, including a prominent partnership with grocery giant Pick n Pay.
The platform enables consumers to pay with Bitcoin via QR codes or POS terminals, facilitating fast, cost-effective transactions using the Lightning Network. This funding round, partly backed in Bitcoin, enables MoneyBadger to accelerate partnerships and extend its service to more consumers, merchants, and countries.
Future growth plans include broader expansion across Africa. MoneyBadger is engaging with partners in multiple African countries beyond South Africa, aiming to support Bitcoin payments across the continent while settling funds in local currencies or Bitcoin.
One of the key partnerships MoneyBadger has formed is with Peach Payments, a major African payment service provider operating in South Africa, Kenya, and Mauritius. This July-August 2025 partnership allows Peach Payments’ extensive merchant network to accept Bitcoin and other crypto assets both online and in physical stores, marking Peach Payments' first integration with a crypto payment provider. The collaboration aims to bring Bitcoin payments into mainstream commerce, enabling a growing young, tech-savvy demographic and facilitating easier transactions for foreigners and expatriates in Africa.
The team behind MoneyBadger includes experienced professionals from the fintech and crypto industries. Carel van Wyk, CEO of MoneyBadger, is a co-founder of leading African crypto exchange Luno. Ben Blaine, head of growth, is an experienced founder and former marketing specialist at SnapScan. Brent Peterson, Head of Legal and Compliance, is a recognised expert in cryptocurrency regulation. Carl Kritzinger, founder of FireWorks, is also part of the MoneyBadger team.
Bitcoin has surged 128% since 2022, from around $40,000 to $108,000 in June, further boosting the potential of platforms like MoneyBadger. Hisham Halbouny, Managing Partner at P1 Ventures, believes in MoneyBadger's potential to redefine daily payments across Africa.
MoneyBadger has already rolled out Bitcoin and crypto payment solutions across more than 1,600 retail outlets in South Africa, including all Pick n Pay hypermarkets, supermarkets, clothing stores, and express branches. Pick n Pay processes over R1 million in cryptocurrency transactions monthly, and transaction volumes on MoneyBadger have exceeded $83,000 (approximately R1.4 million) per month.
As MoneyBadger continues to grow and form strategic partnerships, it is poised to revolutionise the way Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are used in everyday transactions across Africa.
[1] https://www.moneybadger.co/ [2] https://www.peachpayments.com/ [3] https://www.luno.com/ [4] https://www.snapscan.com/ [5] https://www.fireworks.co.za/
[Source: MoneyBadger Press Release, July 2025]
MoneyBadger's current expansion and partnership attempts underscore a focus on venture capital, aiming to raise funds to expand its reach beyond South Africa and into other African countries. With technological advancements like the Lightning Network facilitating fast, cost-effective transactions, MoneyBadger's engagement in crypto regulation will be crucial to support broader adoption of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies.
The recent growth in Bitcoin's value, boosting from around $40,000 to $108,000 since 2022, highlights the potential for platforms like MoneyBadger in revolutionizing everyday transactions, particularly in sports and commerce, as they seek to bring Bitcoin payments into mainstream usage across Africa.
