Nuvei Secures South African License as It Extends Local Acquiring to 52 Markets

Nuvei has received authorization to offer local merchant payments services in South Africa, a move that extends its local acquiring and payment acceptance infrastructure into one of Africa’s largest digital commerce markets. For PSPs serving high-risk or cross-border merchants, the point is straightforward: local rails still matter, even when the commercial story is “global platform.”

1. According to a Wednesday, Oct. 14 press release, the authorization came from the Payments Association of South Africa. Nuvei said the license lets it extend its local acquiring and payment acceptance infrastructure, transaction data and operational controls into the country.
2. Nuvei said the expansion brings the number of markets where it offers its local acquiring infrastructure to 52. The company framed the move as part of its “Every Payment Everywhere” strategy, which is meant to support global brands and local businesses by optimizing payment performance through its global payments platform.
3. Phil Fayer, Nuvei Chair and CEO, said the South African offering will support both international businesses entering the region and South African companies expanding globally. His line is the usual one, but the mechanism is the real story: local acquiring and locally optimized payment capabilities are what make that promise work in practice.
4. The South Africa announcement comes after Nuvei said in June that it plans to acquire Payoneer for $2.75 billion to create a global platform for local and cross-border commerce. The companies said they expect the transaction to close in mid-2027, subject to customary closing conditions.
5. Nuvei also said in December 2025 that it received approval to operate under the European Union’s new regulatory framework for cryptocurrency, including a Crypto-Asset Service Provider (CASP) license under the EU’s Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation.

The company’s planned combination with Payoneer would pair Nuvei’s payment acceptance capabilities with Payoneer’s cross-border payouts, multi-currency accounts, banking network, same-day and real-time settlement in 150 markets, and regulatory footprint across major jurisdictions. That mix is exactly the sort of thing merchants ask for when they want one provider that can handle local acceptance on one side and cross-border movement on the other.