TurnStay processes $61.5m in travel payments in six months

South African travel fintech TurnStay processed more than $61.5 million in payments during the first six months of 2026, according to the company. TurnStay helps travel businesses collect payments from international customers. Its customers include hotels, lodges and tour operators that often have to deal with different currencies and payment methods.The latest figure is notable because the company was only founded three years ago.

The problem is fairly simple

A traveller may book a safari in South Africa from the UK, for example, but the business still has to figure out how to collect the payment. The customer may want to pay in pounds using a card they already use. The business needs to receive the money in rands. There are payment fees and currency conversion costs in between. TurnStay built its platform around that part of the booking process. The company allows travel businesses to accept payments in different currencies and through different payment methods, while handling the settlement on the business side.

TurnStay is processing more money

The $61.5 million figure refers to the value of payments processed through the platform. It is not TurnStay’s revenue. Even with that distinction, the growth is worth noting. When BTA previously covered TurnStay in July 2024, the company had processed more than R50 million in transactions and had raised $300,000 from DFS Lab and DCG. The business is now handling more than $60 million in travel payments in half a year.

International visitors are important customers

African tourism businesses rely heavily on visitors from outside the continent. That makes payments a bigger issue than it might be for a business serving customers in one country. A lodge or tour operator needs to make it easy for someone in another country to pay, while still receiving the money in the local market. That is where TurnStay has concentrated its business instead of trying to compete with hotel booking sites or travel marketplaces.

The next test is the business itself

Processing a lot of payments does not automatically mean a fintech is making a lot of money. TurnStay still has to cover payment processing, technology, staff and other operating costs while keeping its fees attractive enough for travel businesses. But the latest figure shows that the company has moved well beyond the early stage covered by BTA in 2024. For now, TurnStay is handling a growing share of the payment traffic between international travellers and African tourism businesses.The question is whether it can keep that volume growing and turn it into a profitable business.