MasterCard today announced Standard Bank will be the first South African financial instiution to offer its digital wallet service, MasterPass.

"The world we shop in is constantly evolving and the ways we pay should keep pace. With a single click, tap or touch of the MasterPass button at checkout, consumers can access their preferred digital wallet and authenticate a payment with a secure PIN," Mark Hearne, head of business fevelopment for MasterCard in South Africa, said in a statement. "South Africans are the first in the Middle East and Africa region to be introduced to MasterPass, which was launched internationally last year."

The Standard Bank MasterPass app is a free app available for download from the Apple, Android or BlackBerry app stores. Takealot.com, Flysaa.com (South African Airways) and entertainment ticketing site Plankton.mobi are among the first merchants to accept MasterPass as a payment method at checkout, with additional merchants going live soon.