Virtual Cards Signal a Shift in Corporate Travel Payments as South Africa Adapts to Global Change

Media Release

20 March 2026

Corporate travel is undergoing a significant shift as organisations re-examine how bookings, expenses and financial controls are managed in an increasingly digital operating environment. Traditional systems that rely on physical cards and manual reconciliation are proving difficult to sustain, particularly as companies place greater emphasis on visibility, accuracy and control in travel expenditure.

Globally, travel businesses and fintech platforms are adopting virtual card solutions to modernise B2B payments and improve security. This shift reflects a broader move toward digital payment tools that reduce friction and strengthen financial oversight.

These developments are prompting South African businesses to reassess their own travel processes. Finance teams are under growing pressure to manage budgets more tightly, while operational teams are tasked with reducing administrative delays, automating processes and improving the quality of reporting. As these demands increase, organisations are looking for digital tools that support transparent governance and help streamline workflow across finance and travel functions.

In line with these global trends, RMB has partnered with Visa to launch an innovative travel payment solution. Leveraging the state‑of‑the‑art Visa Commercial Pay platform, this launch positions South Africa among the markets adopting virtual cards for business travel. The solution enables clients to generate virtual cards with more than 45 payment controls, limiting card usage to specific amounts, merchant categories or locations to prevent spend leakage and reduce fraud risk. The capability to store custom data at the virtual card level enhances visibility and simplifies reconciliation. This aligns with global travel ecosystems where virtual cards have become a practical way to simplify B2B payments, strengthen fraud protection and improve the accuracy and efficiency of reconciliation.

“Corporate travel continues to change, and businesses want solutions that reinforce governance while keeping operations simple. With the RMB Travel Offering powered by Visa Commercial Pay, we are giving companies a smarter and more secure way to manage travel spend. It strengthens control, protects against misuse and provides the clarity that finance teams need to make better decisions quicker. This is a meaningful step toward modernising the way South African corporates manage their travel payments,” says Reeza Hartley, Product Head – Corporate Card Issuing at RMB.

Local travel management companies are also beginning to explore virtual card technology to prevent frauds and reduce friction in booking and settlement processes. Their experience reflects broader international trends where travel providers use digital payment tools to manage high transaction volumes more efficiently and securely.

Industry analysts note that virtual cards are gaining traction in sectors where expenses are frequent and distributed across multiple touchpoints. The emphasis on operational efficiency and financial transparency has led to increased investment in digital payment capabilities that support structured, data-rich transaction management.

For South African businesses, shifting economic conditions have heightened the need for accurate oversight of travel spend and greater flexibility across decentralised teams. As organisations look for reliable tools to manage travel expenses with clearer visibility and improved governance, virtual card solutions are emerging as a practical way to introduce consistency and transparency into corporate travel management.