A Pretoria-based startup is tackling cash dependency in South Africa’s underserved areas, putting communities first and providing the tools to trade securely in an evolving digital landscape.
eJuuZ is a township-focused digital wallet and payment platform that converts cash-send transfers into usable digital payments, enabling secure transactions at local merchants without ATMs, bank accounts or card machines.
Cousins and co-founders Thabang Monyamane, CEO, and Zwelakhe Ndhlazi, COO, said they named eJuuZ after a common township saying heard at petrol stations, where people ask you to “juice them up” to power them through the day.
Monyamane said they began with just six transactions during an early pilot with a single merchant, but by 2023, the platform had processed 480,000 transactions — a figure that has since climbed to about 800,000 annually as adoption steadily expands.
“Frictionless payments are becoming prevalent within the economy, and we wanted to focus on the township economy,” said Ndhlazi. Having grown up in Mamelodi, he had experienced the unreliable infrastructure of townships firsthand.
During power cuts, ATMs and finance outlets at malls are often offline, leaving residents unable to access or complete digital transfers such as cash-send or e-wallet payments.
eJuuZ now supports more than 100,000 registered users, more than 50 trusted merchants, and connects with more than 20 banks across South Africa
Ndhlazi said that in the traditional banking system, multiple layers and bureaucracy can slow transactions, even when ATMs or card payments are available. Emerging technologies such as blockchain, Web3 and AI, however, are enabling faster, more seamless digital commerce.
To bridge this gap, eJuuZ has created a simple first version of its online shopping service, so users can spend money digitally without leaving the platform.
eJuuZ now supports more than 100,000 registered users, more than 50 trusted merchants, and connects with more than 20 banks across South Africa.
While the long-term goal is to evolve eJuuZ into a broader “super app”, Ndhlazi said the team is scaling in deliberate stages, focusing first on seamless pay-and-collect functionality before expanding its offering.
Monyamane said the platform helps reduce cash in circulation, improve transaction efficiency and traceability, promote financial inclusion for merchants and vendors, and build an inclusive ecosystem by integrating other platforms and navigating regulatory compliance.
Referencing last year’s state of the nation address, in which President Cyril Ramaphosa pledged a R20bn transformation fund for black-owned and small businesses, and noting this year’s continued focus on SME support, Monyamane said eJuuZ aims to help entrepreneurs engage with the growing digital economy.
He said the biggest opportunity for helping SMEs lay in easing regulatory compliance and simplifying trade. Many small business owners struggled with licensing, which could distract them from running their operations efficiently.
Over the next couple of years we intend to become a pan-African payment platform, providing financial services and credit facilities to the merchants transacting on our platform, .
— Thabang Monyamane, eJuuZ CEO
Citing Standard Bank’s Township Informal Economy Report 2025, Ndhlazi said the sector is valued at R900bn — and is 80% informal and 57% self-funded. With so much untapped potential across about 530 established townships, reaching only a fraction of this market could make a big impact on the broader economy.
Monyamane said that while other fintech startups such as iKhokha, Yoco and Flash cover about a quarter of the market with point-of-sale solutions, the Reserve Bank still lacks a way to address the remaining market share. He said eJuuZ aims to fill that gap, converting cash into a usable digital economy primarily for township communities.
Ndhlazi said that building trust remains the biggest challenge for adoption. Convenience may drive initial usage, but sustained uptake depends on education and a consistent user experience.
To build that confidence, eJuuZ partners with trusted local merchants and community ambassadors. He said that while the company cannot control how individual businesses operate, the team works closely with them to educate users and encourage adoption. Word-of-mouth and merchant endorsement play a key role in building credibility within township communities.
Ndhlazi said eJuuZ aimed to serve everyday cash-dependent users. “We want to show the ‘magogo’, or the ‘car wash guy’, how keeping money in a digital platform can be practical and help them grow their funds,” he said.
Operating out of Pretoria, eJuuZ currently serves surrounding townships — including Soshanguve, Mabopane, Atteridgeville, Ga-Rankuwa and Mamelodi — and is expanding into Soweto’s Jabulani area.
Merchants can find eJuuZ through social media or the website, sign up for a demo or APK to try its features, and link their stores via the API — enabling the team to collect real-world usage data and making the stores visible within the eJuuZ ecosystem.
Though eJuuZ is still in its early stages, the startup has ambitious plans for growth.
“Over the next couple of years we intend to become a pan-African payment platform, providing financial services and credit facilities to the merchants transacting on our platform,” said Monyamane.
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