iKhokhaCommerce
Small South African traders who want a card machine without a monthly fee
The assessment
What iKhokha is, honestly
iKhokha sells card acceptance to South African businesses that a bank acquirer would not have taken on, and it competes on two things rather than on features. The first is that you never pay a monthly rental. The second is that the hardware is cheap enough to buy outright, starting at R699 for the Flyer Lite and nothing at all if you use your own phone with iK Tap on Phone.
That structure suits an uneven trading year. A market stall that is busy in December and quiet in February pays nothing in February, which is not true of a rented terminal. What you give up is the headline transaction rate, because at low volume iKhokha charges 2.75 percent excluding VAT while the closest rival starts lower. The arithmetic changes as you grow, and the rate steps down automatically without you having to renegotiate anything.
The balance
Where it is strong, and where it is not
What works well
- No monthly rental on any machine, so a quiet trading month costs you nothing at all
- Card machines are bought outright from R699, and iK Tap on Phone needs no hardware whatsoever
- Support runs 24 hours a day on phone and WhatsApp, which is unusual at this end of the market
- Rates step down automatically as monthly turnover grows, without renegotiating anything
What to consider
- The entry rate of 2.75 percent excluding VAT is higher than the cheapest rival at low volume
- You buy the hardware up front rather than renting, which is a real cost for a new trader
- Card acceptance and simple invoicing only, so it is not a stock or table management system
- Unlimited data on the machine is a separate R75 each month if you want it
Capability
What it does better than most
The iK Flyer Lite is R699 and the iK Flyer with a built in printer is R1 499, both bought outright. There is no rental on either, so a quiet month costs nothing.
Turns a compatible Android phone into the terminal at no cost, which is the cheapest way in this market to find out whether accepting cards changes your takings.
In person local cards run at 2.75 percent excluding VAT up to R40 000 a month, then 2.65, 2.55 and 2.5 percent as turnover rises, with custom rates above R100 000.
FNB and Absa customers are paid the next business day. Nedbank customers and iK debit card holders are paid twice a day, same day, which is a real cash flow difference.
Send an invoice or a payment link from the app, record cash sales, and sell prepaid airtime and gaming vouchers, which for many small shops is a second income line.
Setup and support
Getting it running, and getting help
What implementation actually involves
There is no implementation in the software sense. You choose a machine, create an account in the app, upload your business documents for FICA verification and connect a bank account. Delivery is three to four working days anywhere in the country and the machine works out of the box. The only decision worth thinking about beforehand is which machine, and that turns on whether you need to hand a customer a printed slip. If you do, the iK Flyer with its built in printer is the one. If digital receipts are acceptable, the Flyer Lite is half the price. Tap on Phone needs nothing at all beyond a compatible Android handset, which makes it a sensible way to test whether card acceptance changes your takings before spending anything.
What happens when something breaks
Support runs 24 hours a day, on the phone and on WhatsApp, and that is genuinely unusual at this end of the market. A trader whose machine stops working at seven on a Friday evening is losing money by the hour, and being able to reach a person then is worth more than most features. Hardware is covered by a 30 day money back guarantee, so a machine that turns out to be wrong for your counter can go back. Because you own the machine rather than renting it, a failure outside that window is a replacement you pay for, which is the trade you accept for having no monthly rental.
What it costs
How the money actually works
The monthly figure is zero, and that is the point. You buy a machine once, from R699, or you use your phone for nothing, and after that you only pay when money moves. Optional unlimited data on the machine is R75 a month if you want the machine to have its own connection. The real cost is the transaction rate, which starts at 2.75 percent excluding VAT and only reaches 2.5 percent once you turn over R80 000 in a month. Model that against your actual card turnover before choosing, because at low volume a rival with a lower entry rate can cost you less overall even though iKhokha looks cheaper on the sticker. Above R100 000 a month ask for the custom rate, and hold them to the promise to match or beat a competitor quote.
iK Tap on Phone
Turns an Android phone into the card machine. Nothing to buy.
R0no hardware
Get iK Tap on Phone- Accept tap to pay on your phone
- Digital receipts
- Pay links and invoices
- No monthly rental
iK Flyer Lite
Portable machine with digital receipts. Reduced from R999.
R699once off
Get iK Flyer Lite- Tap and insert
- Dual SIM connectivity
- All day battery
- Prepaid vouchers
- No monthly rental
iK Flyer
Adds a built in printer and swipe for counter trading.
R1 499once off
Get iK Flyer- Prints paper receipts
- Tap, insert and swipe
- Dual SIM connectivity
- Sell and print vouchers
- No monthly rental
Read off the vendor pricing page on 5 September 2026. Vendors change prices and run promotions without notice, so confirm the current figure before you buy.
Local view
What changes in South Africa
iKhokha was built in Durban for the same merchants the banks would not onboard, and the local detail shows. FICA verification happens in the app, delivery is three to four working days anywhere in the country, and settlement timing depends on who you bank with. If you bank with FNB or Absa the money lands the next business day, and with Nedbank or the iK debit card you are paid twice a day. Support answering at ten at night matters more to a trader than a feature list does. The rate is the thing to model, because 2.75 percent excluding VAT at low volume is not the cheapest in this market, and only falls to 2.5 percent once you are turning over R80 000 a month.
How we scored it
Where the number comes from
The app is clear and a machine is trading within days of ordering.
Payments, invoices, pay links and vouchers, but no stock or table management.
No monthly rental at all, though the entry rate is higher than the cheapest rival.
24 hour phone and WhatsApp support, which almost nobody else offers here.
Built in Durban, FICA in the app, settlement timed around local banks.
The headline score is the mean of these five. Each number is a judgement, not a measurement, and the reason for it is written beside it so you can disagree with it.
Against the category
How it compares with its peers
The bar is iKhokha. The vertical line is the average of the 4 products we have reviewed in commerce and point of sale. The figure on the right is the difference.
Monthly cost across commerce and point of sale
- ShopifyR400100%
- YocoR00%
- iKhokhaR00%
- SnapScanR00%
Cost over time
What it really costs over three years
Head to head
Against its closest rival
| Dimension | iKhokha | Yoco |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | 8.7 | 8.8 |
| Everyday use | 8.8 | 9.2 |
| Depth of features | 7.8 | 7.6 |
| Value for money | 8.4 | 8.9 |
| Support and skills | 9.0 | 8.6 |
| South African fit | 9.6 | 9.8 |
| Entry price | R0 | R0 |
Yoco is the closest scoring product to iKhokha in commerce and point of sale. Prices are compared as published, and a quoted product cannot be scored on price.
Alternatives
What to look at instead
Common questions
What buyers always ask
01How much does iKhokha cost in South Africa?
R0 per month, machines from R699. No monthly rental; in person rates from 2.75% excl VAT, falling to 2.5%.
02Does iKhokha offer a free trial?
A trial is offered but the length is not published, so ask when you sign up.
03Can you book a demonstration of iKhokha?
No demonstration is advertised. The trial is the way to evaluate it.
04Is iKhokha a good fit for a South African business?
iKhokha was built in Durban for the same merchants the banks would not onboard, and the local detail shows. FICA verification happens in the app, delivery is three to four working days anywhere in the country, and settlement timing depends on who you bank with. If you bank with FNB or Absa the money lands the next business day, and with Nedbank or the iK debit card you are paid twice a day. Support answering at ten at night matters more to a trader than a feature list does. The rate is the thing to model, because 2.75 percent excluding VAT at low volume is not the cheapest in this market, and only falls to 2.5 percent once you are turning over R80 000 a month.
05Who is iKhokha best suited to?
Small South African traders who want a card machine without a monthly fee. The right answer for a small South African trader with uneven months, who wants no fixed cost and a person on the phone at night. If your card turnover is steady and substantial, compare the blended rate against the alternatives before you commit, because the rate rather than the rental is where the money goes.
Answered from this product record, so these can never drift from the figures above.
Still deciding? Ask us directly
Final view
Should it make the shortlist?
The right answer for a small South African trader with uneven months, who wants no fixed cost and a person on the phone at night. If your card turnover is steady and substantial, compare the blended rate against the alternatives before you commit, because the rate rather than the rental is where the money goes.