Merchant payments, mobile money and e-wallet processor Direct Pay Online has continued its recent expansion with the acquisition PayThru South Africa, a cloud-based payment gateway that specialises in the integration of mobile devices.

Direct Pay Online has made the acquisition through its South African subsidiary DPO SA, and says it is in line with the group's strategy to strengthen its positioning in South Africa and establish itself as the leading payment service provider on the continent.

Launched in Kenya in 2006, Direct Pay Online has since expanded to Uganda, Rwanda, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Zambia, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana. It serves over 20,000 online merchants in East, Central and Southern Africa.

Much of its expansion in Southern Africa has taken place recently, with Direct Pay Online acquiring South Africa's PayGate in September 2016, and VSC Namibia and Botswana in March of this year.

"Investing in market leading businesses in the online payments space is a core pillar of our growth strategy. Our vision is to provide one payment solution across Africa and this acquisition brings us one step closer to that goal," said Offer Gat, the DPO Group chairman.

PayThru was established in South Africa in 2010 and is a subsidiary of PayThru UK. DPO's acquisition of PayThru means that its clients, including online retailers TakeALot.com, Superbalist.com and online food delivery service Mr. Delivery, will all be served by the DPO Group.

Direct Pay Online Group Chief Executive Officer Eran Feinstein said he was excited to welcome PayThru South Africa to the DPO family.

"They bring an impressive track record in the online payments sector, especially in the mobile arena. With this acquisition, we are fully aligned in our ambition to become the leading end-to-end online payment service provider in Africa by deploying world-class payment infrastructure and technology, and expanding our footprint on the continent," he said.