While Samsung is gearing up to launch its smart ring later this year, South African-based company VezoPay has beaten the tech giant to launch Africa’s first-ever smart ring which is set to mark a significant leap in contactless payment technology on the continent.

Embedded with Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, VezoPay’s state-of-the-art ring is designed for contactless payment within one second, requiring zero external inputs after the initial credit card linkage during the activation process.

No password, no screen interaction, or additional authentication steps—just a simple tap or wave near a payment terminal gets payment done in a twinkle of an eye.

This is possible because the company has partnered with banks and other financial institutions in South Africa, which also guarantees an extra layer of security even if the ring is lost or stolen.

According to the company, their tokenisation process ensures no actual data is stored on the ring, making all financial information 100 per cent safe. This essentially means sensitive details like credit card numbers are replaced with random characters “tokens” on the ring’s storage, making it useless in case of third-party interception. 

Durability is another key feature that makes Vezopay’s ring convenient for round-the-clock usage. For seamless integration into users’ daily routines, the ring operates without batteries and is shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof.

“Our ring is designed to be always worn. You can forget about it until you need to make a payment and it’s right there on your finger, ready to go,” Jake Pinkus, co-founder of VezoPay said in an interview with TechCentral.

“Our goal is to make payments as painless as possible. Money makes the world go round and we want to ensure that moving it is as easy as possible for everyone involved.” 

VezoPay doesn’t offer just one size fits all. Their collection boasts three stylish options: the X Ring (crafted from ceramic), the Signature Ring (built from silver), and the Classic Ring (created from gold). These rings cater to a range of preferences, all priced between R2 100 and R28 950, which is roughly equivalent to $50-$200.