UK-based cashless startup tappit has formed a joint venture in South Africa to provide seamless radio-frequency identification (RFID) cashless experiences at festivals, conferences, concerts and sporting events across South Africa and the broader Sub-Saharan region.

tappit specialises in cashless payment solutions for events and permanent venues. Its technology allows users to store funds on wristbands or cards, enabling venues to work cash-free. The solution uses RFID technology and can be used for one-off events or permanent installations.

Partners signed up for the joint venture - tappit Africa - include Old School Group, a multi-brand sports group specialising in festivals and live events that owns the award-winning Cape Town 10s Sport & Music Festival, and Quicket, a provider of online ticketing technology for events.

tappit Africa will be headed by tappit's Rob Groombridge, as managing director, with Old School Group's Gerhardi Odendaal and Quicket's James Hedley completing the leadership team.

It is anticipated that tappit Africa's cashless experiences will help South African event organisers improve cash management and optimise reconciliation, also providing them with a wealth of information on fans' spending habits, enabling them to improve future events.

The first event to showcase the cashless payment experience from tappit Africa will be this year's Zando Cape Town 10s on February 1-3 at Hamilton Rugby Club, Cape Town.

"There are so many fantastic events, just like Cape Town 10s, all across South Africa, offering everything from sports, to music and culture, all going above and beyond to provide an unbeatable experience for fans," Groombridge said.

"Our new joint venture, tappit Africa, is committed to supporting the organisers of world-class events by revolutionising the way fans and vendors enjoy the experience through seamless integration of technology elements like ticketing and cashless payments."

Quicket's James Hedley said: "We are delighted to be part of this joint venture where we can leverage tappit's experience in managing cashless payments for large-scale events like the Dubai Rugby 7s for the South African market."

Old School's Gerhardi Odendaal said it was extremely important for event organisers and rights holders to know and understand their customers' behaviour.

"Cashless payment is certainly one of the most exciting technologies within the live events industry and we know we've only seen the tip of the iceberg with how this technology is used. We're looking forward to really leading this growing trend with tappit and Quicket," he said.