What is POS System?
A point of sale, or point of purchase, is where you ring up customers. When customers check out online, walk up to your checkout counter, or pick out an item from your stand or booth, they’re at the point of sale.
Your point-of-sale system is the hardware and software that enable your business to make those sales.
Best POS System For Small Business In South Africa
Some of the best PoS providers available to South African businesses are listed and briefly described below.
Gaap
Gaap sells payment and PoS technologies aimed at hospitality businesses and has been in operation for over 35 years.
It says its products help businesses:
- Improve sales;
- Minimise losses; and,
- Streamline operations.
Its products include PoS systems, self-service kiosks, payment terminals, e-commerce gateways, and reward systems, as well as labor management platforms.
It allows businesses to rent, lease-to-own, or purchase PoS systems outright, including monthly software licenses, onsite or remote support, and unlimited software training.
Zapper
Zapper is a South African fintech company that has been in operation since 2014. It sells tap-based and scan-based payment systems and services.
The company serves merchants across the retail, hospitality, parking bills, donations, fuel and convenience, and e-commerce sectors.
Previously only offering scan-based payment systems, Zapper launched tap-on-phone payments in 2022.
The system allows customers to pay using their smartphone’s near-field communication (NFC) technology, regardless of whether they have installed the Zapper app.
Merchants still require the Zapper app, available for download from the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
It is compatible with several tap-to-pay platforms, including Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Garmin Pay.
iKhokha
iKhokha is a Durban-based fintech company offering various payment solutions and tools for small businesses in South Africa.
Its products include various tap-enabled card machines, the iKhokha app, and e-commerce payment methods like the iKhokha Payment Gateway.
The iKhokha app lets small business owners use their NFC-enabled iOS or Android device to accept payments in person, removing the need for card machines altogether.
The fintech company sells Tap & Go card machines for various budgets, including the iK Flyer, iK Mover, and iK Shaker Solo.
It also offers various point-of-sale bundles with prices ranging from R9,999 to R10,999. The PoS systems are bundled with either the iKhokha app or one of its Tap & Go card machines.
Yoco
Yoco is an African payments platform that sells various payment terminals and PoS products for small businesses in Africa.
The fintech company’s products include an e-commerce payment gateway, various tap-enabled card machines, and the Yoco Link invoicing and payment platform.
Its card machines are priced from R599 to R2,499, and its mobile-based PoS platform sends business owners sales notifications, and payment confirmations, and enables quick daily, weekly, and monthly reconciliations.
Those looking for a cost-effective payment and PoS platform can download the Yoco app from the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, or Huawei AppGallery.
Adumo
Adumo offers a wide range of payment and financial solutions to benefit shop owners and customers.
These include buy-now-pay-later solutions, various card machines, and PoS integrations.
“Adumo integrated payments is a fast, secure, convenient and cost-effective way to accept multiple payment types,” it says.
The Adumo Connect product includes chip and pin, tap-to-pay, and magstripe-enabled card machines, with dual SIM slots and rechargeable batteries.
Dual sim cards give the business owner an alternative cellular connection during load-shedding when power outages wreak havoc with cellphone tower batteries.
The rechargeable batteries for Adumo’s card machines offer up to eight hours of use on a single charge.
How much does a point-of-sale system cost in South Africa?
Basic POS software can start at R450 per month. Transaction Fees – Standard transaction fees can start at 2.75%. These are estimated fees based on your business’s monthly turnover. The transaction fees for in-person payments cost less than online payments.
How profitable is the POS business?
Yes, the POS business is a very profitable and lucrative business to venture into, as it is a daily income business that lots of money can be made from the day in and day out.
As a POS agent in Nigeria, you can make up to 20,000 Naira and even more on a daily basis. Although, you can make way less than that amount.
What makes a good POS system?
Ideally, your system should create detailed sales reports, complete with charts and graphs. It also should have an easy-to-comprehend dashboard that provides sales, cash, and inventory data in real-time.
