Mastercard has partnered with South African B2B payments and digital banking platform Glyde Payments to introduce a virtual card solution designed to modernise supplier payments for travel businesses across Southern Africa.
Powered by the Mastercard Wholesale Program, the solution allows travel agencies and travel management companies to issue a unique Virtual Card Number (VCN) for each booking and supplier transaction. Glyde’s launch marks the first issuance of a Mastercard Wholesale Program card in Southern Africa.
The VCNs provide businesses with greater control over payment parameters, including transaction amounts, merchants and the period during which a payment can be used. The system is designed to improve transaction visibility, simplify reconciliation, support faster settlements and reduce exposure to fraud and chargebacks.
The collaboration comes as travel and tourism continue to contribute significantly to South Africa’s economy. The sector was forecast to contribute ZAR 659.8 billion in 2025, equivalent to 8.9% of the country’s GDP.
Mastercard said the solution is intended to give travel businesses more efficient and transparent ways to pay suppliers, while improving working capital flexibility and supporting stronger supplier relationships.
According to Darryl Adriaanzen, Mastercard’s country manager for Southern Africa, the collaboration brings virtual card capabilities to travel companies in the region, offering a more controlled and secure approach to supplier payments.
The Mastercard Wholesale Program is designed specifically for B2B travel payments and has supported payments to more than 400,000 suppliers across multiple countries. The programme builds on more than a decade of virtual card development for the travel industry.
Glyde has integrated compliance and reporting capabilities for international transactions into its platform, with the aim of simplifying cross-border supplier payments and improving transparency for businesses operating across the region.
Glyde Payments CEO Paulina Klotzbücher said the partnership combines the company’s travel payments platform with Mastercard’s global payment network, allowing travel businesses to issue virtual cards for individual transactions with improved payment controls and reporting.
The launch builds on Mastercard’s collaborations with travel payment providers in Europe and other markets, extending its virtual card capabilities to Southern Africa as businesses increasingly adopt digital solutions for B2B payments.
