CountryZAAfrica · Southern AfricaZAR Filter the Database

South Africa

Cards remain the foundation of online payments in South Africa, mostly Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards. Account-to-account payments are the main alternative: Instant EFT (pay-by-bank from the shopper’s online banking) is widely offered, and PayShap, the real-time payment service launched in March 2023, lets people pay using a cellphone-number alias (ShapID). According to World Wide Worx research, 40.8% of participating retailers offered Instant EFT or PayShap in 2025, digital-wallet use grew by more than 35% year on year, and buy now, pay later performed best for purchases of roughly R800 to R8,000. Cash on delivery is rare. Merchants selling in South African rand (ZAR) should offer cards, Instant EFT or PayShap and, for mid-priced baskets, BNPL.

Online

Visa and Mastercard debit and credit cards · Instant EFT pay-by-bank · PayShap real-time payments using a ShapID · phone and digital wallets · buy now, pay later instalments for mid-priced purchases · cash on delivery only rarely

In store

Contactless Visa and Mastercard cards · Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay · SnapScan and Zapper · cash, particularly at informal traders and spaza shops · PayShap transfers for small businesses

17

providers in South Africa

BokudLocalEBANXFLFlutterwaveGoCardlessHiPayJetonMiFinityMobiCashMuchBetterNuveiOrcaPayPalPayRetailersPayURapyd
6

methods used in South Africa

Local Payments Africa CardsMobiCashMoMo WalletMTNVodacomVodafone
54

accepted here, and everywhere

Card schemes and wallets that are not particular to South Africa
1VoucherAmerican ExpressApple PayAstroPayBank TransferBitPayBokuBuy Now Pay LaterCardsCashCash PaymentCashLibCashtoCodeCredit CardCryptoDebit Card
1

currencies

ZAR
4

nearby markets

BotswanaBWEswatiniSZLesothoLSNamibiaNA

In-store payments in South Africa

In shops, contactless card payments on Visa and Mastercard are standard in formal retail, and phone wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are accepted at NFC terminals. QR-code payment apps such as SnapScan and Zapper are used by smaller merchants. Cash is still widely used, especially in the informal sector, and PayShap was introduced partly to reduce reliance on it. According to the World Bank Global Findex, 46% of adults used a card or phone to pay in a store in 2024.

E-commerce in South Africa

World Wide Worx puts South African online retail at R130 billion in 2025 and forecasts R159 billion in 2026, when it expects online to reach about 10% of retail turnover. Its research found internet access among 79.1% of adults in 2025 but only 34.2% shopping online, down from 36.6% in 2024, and smartphones accounted for 57.9% of online shopping transactions. Takealot is the most-used store, used by 35.3% of online shoppers, followed by Shein, Checkers Sixty60 and Amazon. The World Bank Global Findex found that only 2% of adults paid cash on delivery in 2024.

Payment regulation in South Africa

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB) operates, regulates and supervises the national payment system under the National Payment System Act 78 of 1998. The Payments Association of South Africa (PASA) was the payment system management body, but under a SARB directive issued on 2 June 2026 its functions transitioned to the SARB and PayInc (the former BankservAfrica, which runs PayShap, EFT and card switching) from 2 September 2026. Cross-border payments are subject to exchange control administered by the SARB’s Financial Surveillance Department through authorised dealers. Personal data processing is governed by the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). The SARB is consulting on a Vision 2030+ payments strategy to follow its Vision 2025.

Banking and financial inclusion

According to the World Bank Global Findex, 81% of adults in South Africa had an account in 2024, compared with 85% in 2021. In 2024, 60% of adults owned a debit card but only 10% a credit card, 32% had a mobile money account and 47% made a digital payment to a merchant. The SARB has presented PayShap as a way to make digital payments more convenient and reduce reliance on cash.

What are the most popular payment methods in South Africa?

The methods most widely supported by providers in South Africa are MTN, MoMo Wallet, MobiCash, Vodacom, Vodafone and Local Payments Africa Cards. Local and regional methods include 1voucher, Vodacom, Vodafone, MobiCash, MTN and M-Pesa.

Which payment providers operate in South Africa?

17 payment providers in PaymentsDatabase serve merchants in South Africa, including Orca, PayPal, HiPay, MuchBetter, MiFinity, Rapyd, Nuvei, dLocal and 9 more.

Which currencies can merchants accept in South Africa?

Providers operating in South Africa settle in South African Rand (ZAR).

Sources · 7

  1. SARB: Payments and settlements
  2. SARB media statement: launch of PayShap (13 Mar 2023)
  3. PASA: notice on transition of functions to SARB and PayInc
  4. TechCentral: BankservAfrica rebrands as PayInc (29 Aug 2025)
  5. World Wide Worx: SA online retail to reach R159-billion in 2026 (2 Sep 2026)
  6. World Wide Worx: Online retail’s next big market (16 Sep 2026)
  7. World Bank Global Findex Database (account ownership, South Africa)

Guide researched September 2026. Payment markets change quickly — check with providers before relying on it. Compiled from public sources. How we compile this