The Almanac is back: Download the ultimate guide to local payments in LATAM Learn more
south africa country report
All countries

Payment methods in South Africa

Here are the top takeaways you need to know about the South African e-commerce market:

  • The average online shopper in South Africa spends US$166 a year with e-commerce merchants, rising to US$192 by 2027.
  • In 2023, the South African e-commerce market was worth US$8 billion. By 2027, it will be worth US$11 billion.
  • Between 2020 and 2022, the proportion of South Africans with a bank account rose from 69% to 76%.
  • In South Africa, online shoppers use digital payment methods in almost half of all transactions, with e-wallets and bank-transfer apps each having around 20% of the market.
  • South African online shoppers complete almost 50% of their online purchases using a mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet.
Population
Online Population
B2C E-commerce
Banked Population
Credit Card Population
E-commerce of Total Retail

Payment Method Breakdown

  • Card 43%
  • Cash 9%
  • Bank Transfer 22%
  • E-Wallet 20%
  • Other 6%
[{"label":"Card","value":"43"},{"label":"Cash","value":"9"},{"label":"Bank Transfer","value":"22"},{"label":"E-Wallet","value":"20"},{"label":"Other","value":"6"}]

Card Scheme Breakdown

  • Visa 52%
  • Mastercard 47%
  • American Express 1%
  • Local schemes 0%
  • Other 0%
[{"label":"Visa","value":"52"},{"label":"Mastercard","value":"47"},{"label":"American Express","value":"1"},{"label":"Local schemes","value":"0"},{"label":"Other","value":"0"}]

Cross-Border E-Commerce

67

Online shoppers who have shopped cross-border

N/A

Cross-border proportion of total e-commerce

N/A $US

Value of cross-border e-commerce

Top cross-border shopping origin markets