LIFT has become the first South African airline to offer both Apple Pay and Google Pay directly on its website across both mobile and desktop, while also introducing cryptocurrency payments through Ozow, significantly expanding the ways customers can pay for flights.
In doing so, LIFT introduces one of the most comprehensive direct airline payment stacks in South Africa. “Our research showed that South Africans are quickly adapting to various payment methods for their purchases, favouring speed and security when making payments, while embracing digital wallets,” says Cilliers Jordaan, Chief Commercial Officer at LIFT. “The strong adoption of our LIFT Wallet demonstrated early on, that our customers value convenience, flexibility and control when booking their travel. Expanding our payment ecosystem was a natural next step for us.”
The move comes as digital wallet adoption accelerates globally and locally, driven by consumer demand for faster, more secure online transactions. According to Visa and Discovery Bank SpendTrend25 South African Consumer Survey, nearly half (45%) of surveyed South Africans now use virtual cards highlighting the growing appeal of secure digital payment solutions.
Cryptocurrency adoption in South Africa continues to grow rapidly, with the Financial Stability Report reporting that crypto users reached nearly 7.8 million in South Africa by July 2025.
LIFT customers can now pay for flights using debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, cryptocurrency via Ozow, payment plans through RCS and PayU, Mobicred financing, or with 1Voucher.
“This is just another way we continue to elevate the travel experience for our customers. First, we offered our LIFT Wallet, flexible bookings and easy flight changes, now we’re making the payment process that much easier. Whether our travellers prefer cards, digital wallets, cryptocurrency or other payment solutions, we’re committed to giving them the flexibility to choose how they want to pay for their flights,” concludes Jordaan.