Leading alternative payment solutions for businesses in South Africa

Becoming a key player in the payment space

In an industry where trust is everything, we built our reputation from the ground up, relying on word-of-mouth, serving small businesses, and leveraging external systems to get the job done. But more than anything, we focused on what mattered most – our relationships. Delivering on our promises, setting ourselves apart with a personal touch, and ensuring unmatched turnaround times became the foundation of our growth.

“Building trust starts with breaking the ice – connecting first, then delivering with excellence. That’s what drives me every day.” – Veenash Parbhoo, Founder and Director of PayCentral

After four years of steady growth, the COVID-19 pandemic changed everything. Suddenly, our bootstrapped business found itself on the same playing field as established fintech giants. But instead of waiting for things to unfold, we seized the moment to stand out.

We doubled down, putting years of client feedback into action to build a platform that gave businesses complete control over card ordering, loading, distribution, and management – offering full financial oversight from card procurement to payments.

With our solution refined, we repositioned our brand, aligning with industry leaders like Mastercard, Standard Bank, and Paymentology. The result? A sleek, powerful payment solution that redefined convenience, control, and credibility in the fintech space.

Once we had established ourselves as a reputable issuer of transactional cards, that had strong relationships with renowned brands, we could start focusing on what truly mattered to us: positively impacting the lives of others. Having done most of the legwork for seven years, we realised that if we wanted to execute this mission, maintain our credibility and continue delivering on our promises, we needed more feet on the ground to help us.

Growing our influence from the inside 

Over the past three years, we’ve grown from a small team of three to a dynamic team of twenty-six. But as the saying goes, you need to get your house in order before inviting guests. Before we could make a real impact beyond our business, we had to start within – ensuring that the values that shaped our journey were deeply embedded in our team and culture.

“From day one, we’ve treated every customer with the time, attention, and respect they might not receive from larger companies. Now, as we grow, we’re ensuring that this commitment to customer-centricity is embedded in every team member – because great service isn’t just a value, it’s our culture.” – Preniel Pentia, Director of PayCentral.

We didn’t want to create a workplace that was limited to its operations and output. Instead, we wanted to build an environment that inspires creativity, collaboration, innovation and growth. As leaders, our focus is not to confine our team to their designated roles, but to encourage them to discover their passions and develop their own expertise so that they may become leaders in their own right – encouraging them to become well-rounded professionals that leave their own unique mark on the world. 

As a company that specialises in employee reward solutions, we knew that fostering a culture of recognition and motivation within our own team was just as important. Our goal was to create a work environment where success was celebrated, and employees felt valued and empowered to perform at their best.

Beyond implementing our own reward card programme – ensuring team members were recognised for their value – we introduced an employee benefits programme to ease everyday expenses. But we didn’t stop there. We prioritised well-being, launching wellness initiatives that support both mental and physical health.

From designing an in-house Zen Den – a peaceful retreat for employees to recharge – to bringing in professionals to assist with stress and anxiety management, we’ve made it our mission to cultivate a balanced, fulfilling, and uplifting workplace.

“Our people are the heart of our success. With a team of passionate, driven individuals, a strong brand, and a business that continues to grow, we know that our greatest asset isn’t just what we offer – it’s who we are.”

Transforming the way that businesses pay

Today, PayCentral empowers over 1,000 businesses across 50 industries, revolutionising the way they handle payments. In just nine years, we’ve issued more than 463,000 virtual and physical cards – facilitating over 10.5 million transactions and driving a total card spend of R4.8 billion.

With secure, efficient, and flexible solutions, we help businesses eliminate cash-related risks, streamline expense management, and reward employees seamlessly. Our mission is simple: to unlock financial freedom and flexibility by connecting businesses and their people to smarter, more powerful payment tools that do more than just process transactions – they drive success.

To learn more about our reloadable card and card management solutions, be sure to watch our how it works video.