Question 1

What is Sting?

Accepted Answer

Sting is a software-led transaction rail for Southern Africa's unbanked consumers, built around Sting Wallet, a closed-loop payment system. It enters the market through social group purchasing for on-demand alcohol delivery: customers load money into Sting Wallet, order alcohol, cold drinks, mixers, and ice from partner stores, and an independent runner delivers it to their door.

Question 2

Is Sting a delivery app or a fintech company?

Accepted Answer

Both, by design. Sting Wallet is a closed-loop payment system — money loaded in can only be spent on Sting orders, never withdrawn or sent elsewhere. Alcohol delivery is the everyday use case that gives unbanked and cash-reliant consumers in South Africa a reason to put money into that wallet in the first place.

Question 3

Why is Sting focused on unbanked consumers in Southern Africa?

Accepted Answer

Sting's thesis is that East and West Africa built large mobile-money networks moving an estimated $1.3 trillion outside traditional bank rails, while Southern Africa lagged behind with only an estimated 5 million active digital wallets. Much of the region's informal economy still runs on physical cash. Sting gives that cash-heavy population an immediate, compelling reason to move money into a digital wallet — on-demand alcohol delivery — rather than asking people to adopt a wallet for its own sake.

Question 4

How is Sting different from Uber Eats or Mr D Food?

Accepted Answer

Uber Eats and Mr D Food deliver food from restaurants. Sting is built specifically around alcohol and drinks — fast delivery from partner liquor stores, age verification built into the ordering flow, and a group-ordering option so a group can split one cart instead of everyone ordering separately.

Question 5

Does Sting verify your age before delivering alcohol?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every customer confirms they are 18 or older before placing an order, and the delivery runner also checks a physical identification document in person when the order arrives.

Question 6

Do I need to upload an ID to order from Sting?

Accepted Answer

No. Sting offers an optional South African ID check during sign-up to speed up age and identity verification, but it can be skipped entirely — the runner delivering your order will still check your identification document in person.

Question 7

Can I split an order or a bar tab with friends on Sting?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Sting lets you start a shared cart, invite friends to join, and split the cost of one order between everyone in the group.

Question 8

Where does Sting deliver?

Accepted Answer

Sting currently operates in Gauteng, South Africa, and is expanding to other provinces over time.

Delivering cold drinks on demand.

Delivering cold drinks on demand.