Matla X Presents
ZuzaPay rewards township communities with real cashback on everyday grocery spending — turning every rand into a step toward financial inclusion.
MatlaX is an African fintech company focused on building sustainable, technology-driven solutions that bring financial dignity to underserved communities across the continent.
Matla — meaning "power" in Sesotho — reflects our belief that access to financial tools is a form of empowerment. We build platforms that work where traditional finance has failed.
We design for the 1.4 billion people across Africa who deserve better financial infrastructure — starting in South Africa's townships and scaling outward.
Mobile-first, offline-tolerant applications built for real-world township conditions — low-end devices, patchy connectivity, and high trust networks.
Every MatlaX product is designed for long-term community value, not extractive returns — our revenue model rewards participation and builds local wealth.
Our products are shaped by the communities they serve, through direct field research, interviews and co-design — not assumptions from a boardroom.
South Africa's first cashback loyalty app designed specifically for spaza shop transactions — giving township households real, tangible savings on every grocery purchase.
Customers earn 4% cashback instantly; ZuzaPay retains 1% to sustain the platform. Merchants fund it via a 2% transaction fee — cheaper than any card terminal.
Spaza owners display a QR code. Customers scan at checkout. No POS machine, no data cable, no setup cost. Works on any Android phone.
Cashback flows automatically into named savings goals — a new phone, school fees, a deposit. Mirrors the savings logic communities already trust.
12 SA-specific articles on budgeting, stokvels, TFSAs and funeral cover — available inside the app, without a data plan needed.
Four steps. No bank account required. No POS hardware. No hidden fees. Just real cashback, every time.
Install the ZuzaPay APK. Register with your phone number and a basic KYC check — no bank account needed, compliant with FICA Exemption 17.
Visit any participating spaza shop and buy your groceries as normal. Look for the ZuzaPay sticker in the window.
Scan the shop owner's unique QR code at checkout. Enter your basket amount. Transaction recorded instantly — no internet required at point of sale.
4% of your spend lands in your ZuzaPay wallet immediately. Watch your savings goals grow with every grocery run.
ZuzaPay has moved from idea to working prototype through five APK iterations, grounded in direct community field research across Gauteng townships.
Conducted 15–20 household interviews and 7 spaza shop owner interviews in a Gauteng township community. Confirmed structural absence of cashback infrastructure in the R425B+ township retail economy.
Defined full system architecture: React Native/Expo frontend, Supabase backend, QR-based merchant checkout with no POS hardware requirement. Mapped POPIA, FICA Exemption 17, and NPS Act compliance.
Five APK build iterations. Each version incorporated real user feedback: authentication, cashback calculation, QR scanning, savings goals, financial literacy content. Failures documented and resolved.
Full five-screen working Android application: Home wallet, QR Scan checkout, Cashback history, Savings Goals with visual trackers, and Financial Education hub. Ready for live community pilot testing.
Structured live deployment with 10 participating spaza shops and 500 community users. Measuring cashback adoption rates, savings goal completion, and merchant transaction volumes.
A clear, phased path from working prototype to township-scale deployment — each step building on validated evidence before moving forward.
ZuzaPay's success depends on collaboration across community, government, and industry. Here is where your partnership can make the biggest difference.
We need trusted community partners to help us reach spaza shop owners and township residents through existing networks and community structures.
Official recognition and regulatory alignment are critical to scale. We seek proactive engagement with relevant authorities to formalise our community presence.
Strategic fintech partnerships can unlock infrastructure, capital, and technical mentorship that accelerate our path from prototype to product.
We welcome collaboration with researchers and institutions interested in the intersection of fintech, financial inclusion, and township economics.
Get the working Android prototype and experience cashback for township communities first-hand. Available as a direct APK install on any Android device.
Current build: v5.0 (Prototype) · Requires Android 8.0+ · ~86MB
Enable "Install from unknown sources" in your Android security settings before installing.
We are in active development. Our official website, business email, and social presence will launch alongside our live pilot. If you were referred here after a pitch or presentation, thank you for your interest — we look forward to connecting with you shortly.