3 articles · Updated · launchbaseafrica.com · Aug 3
Summary
More than R1 billion ($60.7 million) in travel payments flowed through TurnStay in the first six months of 2026, a sign African merchants are shifting to cheaper cross-border processing.
Fees start at 1.6% versus as much as 8% on traditional local gateways, with TurnStay using a merchant-of-record model and stablecoin-based settlement to move funds quickly in local currency.
Clients including Singita, Londolozi, Safari.com and The Capital have helped drive expansion from South Africa into Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana, just three years after launch.
A planned Series A follows a $300,000 pre-seed round in 2024 and $2 million seed round in 2025, as the company seeks licenses beyond South Africa.
That push comes as Africa's tourism recovery exposes fragmented payments infrastructure and as regulators tighten scrutiny of crypto-linked cross-border flows, even though business stablecoin settlement faces less pressure than retail tokens.