Gumtree’s Simon Armstrong says that the Pay & Ship service improves confidence among both buyers and sellers.

Gumtree South Africa, an online classifieds site, has launched Pay & Ship, a secure payment and delivery solution for shopping on its site.

According to a statement, Gumtree has partnered with digital escrow service TradeSafe, to facilitate payment, and Pargo to focus on delivery.

Gumtree users will add money into a Gumtree Wallet, which is powered by TradeSafe, a fintech that counts Standard Bank as one if its investors.

The Pay & Ship service enables users to make transactions on Gumtree and have their goods delivered, removing the need for buyers and sellers to meet in person.

According to Gumtree, parcels will be delivered at Pargo points, covered with shipping insurance for protection against loss or damage during transit. Pargo’s click-and-collect logistics solution has over 4 000 points across South Africa.

Simon Armstrong, lead product manager for Gumtree South Africa, said: “By integrating secure payment and efficient delivery systems, as well as insurance for parcels lost or damaged in transit, Pay & Ship ensures that both buyers and sellers can engage with complete confidence, making every transaction convenient and secure.”

Gumtree South Africa claims to host over 600 000 live ads at any one time, while Semrush claims that the site had over 3.66 million in July.