JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – November 2026 – littlefish, the merchant operating system that helps financial institutions become better partners to the businesses they serve, and Halo Dot, the Enterprise Grade SoftPOS solution provider, today announced a strategic partnership that gives banks, merchant acquirers and payment providers a single, integrated way to help their merchants accept payments and run their businesses.

The partnership brings together two complementary platforms. littlefish’s modular operating system combines point of sale, merchant management, loyalty, inventory and customer engagement in one place. Halo Dot’s globally certified SoftPOS technology turns any compatible NFC-enabled mobile device into a secure payment terminal. Integrated, they give financial institutions a faster route to market and one offering that helps merchants sell smarter, manage stock, build loyalty and grow.

No terminal. No waiting. Just a mobile device, a tap, and a business that’s ready to grow.

More than payment acceptance

Today’s merchants are looking for more than a way to get paid. They need technology that helps them manage their businesses, engage customers and operate more efficiently. Financial institutions, in turn, are looking for ways to strengthen merchant relationships beyond the payment rail.

Too often, the industry has answered that need with more hardware and more complexity. littlefish and Halo Dot are offering a simpler path: one integrated platform, delivered by the financial institution that has partnered with them, that deepens every merchant relationship it touches.

That’s the shift. Not more hardware. More value in every tap.

“At littlefish, we’re focused on helping financial institutions build stronger, more valuable relationships with their merchants,” said Brandon Roberts, Co-Founder and CEO of littlefish. “Our partnership with Halo Dot brings together two highly complementary platforms that let banks and acquirers deliver a complete merchant solution, from secure payment acceptance to the business tools merchants need to thrive. Together, we’re making it easier for financial institutions to accelerate digital commerce while creating better experiences for merchants.”

“Halo Dot was built to make secure digital payment acceptance simple, scalable and accessible,” said Gareth Corbishley, Managing Director of Halo Dot. “Partnering with littlefish lets us extend that capability through a market-leading merchant platform that gives financial institutions the tools they need to succeed. Together, we’re enabling organisations to deliver complete merchant experiences that help businesses accept payments, operate more efficiently and grow with confidence.”

A complementary partnership

The partnership reflects a shared vision to simplify merchant enablement by bringing together best-in-class capabilities across payment acceptance and merchant commerce. Halo Dot provides the secure infrastructure that enables contactless payment acceptance; littlefish delivers the merchant operating system that powers day-to-day business operations and merchant engagement. Each platform makes the other more valuable to the institutions that deploy them.

For financial institutions, it means no longer having to choose between speed and depth: a faster path to market, a simpler stack to manage, and a merchant relationship that grows with every tap, turning each payment into an opportunity to support the business behind it, not just process the sale.

The combined solution is available now to financial institution partners globally, with initial deployments across African markets in 2026 already underway, and further rollouts to follow as more institutions come on board.

About littlefish

littlefish is an enablement platform that helps banks and enterprises deliver connected financial and business solutions to their merchant ecosystems. Bringing payments, banking, commerce tools and value-added services together through a single platform, littlefish enables partners to serve businesses of every size, from independent merchants to national franchises, through the tools and systems they already use. Designed to integrate with existing infrastructure rather than replace it, littlefish simplifies complexity, accelerates innovation and enables partners to bring new merchant solutions to market in weeks rather than quarters. For more information, visit www.littlefishapp.com or visit their LinkedIn.

About Halo Dot

Halo Dot is a provider of certified, Enterprise Grade SoftPOS payment solutions that turn compatible devices into secure, PCI MPoC certified payment terminals. As part of the JSE-listed Araxi Group, Halo Dot serves merchant acquirers, ISOs, PSPs and large enterprise merchants across financial services, retail and logistics, among others. Halo Dot pairs a simple, developer-friendly integration experience with security and compliance to the most rigorous standards, accelerating smarter payments for partners and merchants of every size. For more information, visit www.halodot.io or visit their LinkedIn.

Media contacts

littlefish: Marketing@littlefishapp.com

Halo Dot: media@halodot.io