Prime Highlights

• Standard Bank, UnionPay expand e-commerce acceptance across nine African markets for online payments.
• Partnership covers nearly 900 merchants, enabling secure payments from UnionPay cardholders continent-wide.

Key Facts

• UnionPay cards accepted in 183 countries and regions, including 51 across the African continent.
• Approximately 7 million UnionPay cards issued across Africa, expanding reach for regional merchants.

Background

Standard Bank Group and UnionPay International have expanded UnionPay e-commerce acceptance across nine African markets. These include Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Namibia, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The partnership now covers nearly 900 participating merchants across the continent, allowing them to accept secure online payments from UnionPay cardholders and reach cross-border consumers.

The expanded capability strengthens digital commerce across Africa by giving merchants more payment options, cutting checkout friction and helping them serve international travellers, cross-border shoppers and businesses operating across multiple markets.

The move builds on a partnership Standard Bank and UnionPay first announced in 2024, as African businesses increasingly look to serve customers beyond their home markets amid growth in e-commerce, travel and regional trade.

UnionPay cards are accepted in 183 countries and regions, including 51 in Africa, and are issued in 85 countries and regions worldwide. The network has issued roughly 7 million cards across Africa, creating further opportunities for merchants to reach travellers and cross-border shoppers.

Standard Bank’s presence across the continent supports the rollout, letting merchants process transactions in local currency, US dollars or both, depending on the market.

Bill Blackie, Chief Executive for Business and Commercial Banking at Standard Bank Group, said accepting trusted international payment methods is becoming essential as African businesses sell beyond their domestic markets.

Feng Chen, General Manager at UnionPay International Africa Branch, said the partnership gives merchants more ways to accept UnionPay online and offers cardholders greater choice when transacting with African businesses.