As cash vanishes, millions of informal workers face exclusion. A new fintech startup delivers a wearable, app-free solution to keep them in the economy.
South African fintech startup Tappy is launching a digital payments revolution from the ground up, targeting the millions of service workers left behind by the cashless shift. With 50,000 devices already distributed, its low-cost wearable platform enables instant tips and payments without the need for cards, apps, or even a bank account, beginning its national rollout in December 2025.
The system directly addresses a growing economic rift, where consumers increasingly carry no cash, while workers like petrol attendants, car guards, and waiters remain dependent on physical notes and coins.
Tappy’s solution is a simple NFC-enabled wearable linked to a digital wallet, allowing a customer to tap their phone for a secure, instant payment.
“Tappy solves a real-world problem: how do you tip someone when you don’t have cash, and they don’t have a card machine?” says West Pitt, co-founder of Tappy.
West Pitt, co-founder of Tappy
“We’ve developed a system that makes digital payments simple for everyone, without additional hardware, apps or complex banking requirements.”
Transactions flow through major card networks, supporting Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Tappy’s own system.
Workers see earnings instantly in their Tappy Wallet, with funds transferable to a bank account in seconds. Approved by the South African Reserve Bank, the platform uses end-to-end encryption and stores no personal data on the device.
While launching with a focus on tips, Tappy is also a cost-effective point-of-sale tool for informal traders, potentially slashing transaction costs by up to 96%. Devices will hit retail shelves at Dis-Chem and Studio88 in early 2026, with a goal of 100,000 users within the first year and African expansion planned.
The startup enters a market where digital exclusion poses a direct threat to livelihoods.
“If the future of money is digital, then it must include everyone,” Pitt says.
“This isn’t just about innovation. It’s about survival for people who earn in coins and notes but are being pushed out of the system. Tappy is here to keep them in the economy, not outside it.”
