Digital payment wallets in South Africa – how they work and which banks support them
Staff Writer 
With the local launch of Apple Pay at the end of March 2021, South African banking customers now have a wide selection of digital payment wallets to choose from.
The service is the fourth device-based payment app to go live in the country, following Samsung Pay, Fitbit Pay, and Garmin Pay.
These wallets allow users to load their bank or loyalty cards to an app on a smart device – such as a smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch – which they can then use to make contactless payments.
It uses the NFC technology of a device to support tap and go at payment terminals – similar to how contactless bank cards can process payments.
Given that South African banks recently reported that the majority of their payment terminals now offer NFC, the functionality will likely work at most retailers.
These payments wallets can therefore provide great convenience by allowing bank customers to leave their wallets at home when they go to the shops or have to pay for transport on services like the Gautrain.
In addition, they offer robust security, with the user required to provide a PIN, pattern, fingerprint, or facial ID scan before the payment can be processed.
Apple Pay allows iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and MacBook users to make payments with their device.
For the time being, this digital wallet is limited to Absa, Discovery Bank, and Nedbank.
Its primary rival in South Africa is Samsung Pay, which has been around since August 2018.
The latter is now supported by all of the major South African banks – with the exception of Capitec – and allows users to make payments with many Galaxy smartphones or smartwatches.
The service surpassed two million transactions in South Africa in April 2020.
This is not surprising, given that Samsung leads smartphone sales in South Africa, and Samsung Pay is supported on a variety of the company’s mid-range smartphones.
Fitbit Pay and Garmin Pay are limited to smartwatches, accessories which fewer consumer can afford in South Africa.
The other major international digital payment wallet which remains to be supported by any bank in South Africa is Google Pay.
This service allows Android-based devices capable of running Android version 5.0 (Lollipop) or greater to perform tap-and-go payments.
Given the popularity of Android as an operating system on mobile devices in South Africa, it could see significant uptake.
Unfortunately, according to the latest update from South African banks, there are no set dates for its launch in the country.
The table below shows the digital wallets available in South Africa, which banks support them, and what device you will require to use the payment feature.
| Digital payment wallets | Supported banks | Devices |
| Apple Pay | Absa Discovery Bank Nedbank |
All iPhone models with Face ID or Touch ID, except iPhone 5s All iPads with Face ID or Touch ID All Apple watches MacBook |
| Fitbit Pay | Absa Discovery Bank FNB Investec Nedbank RMB Private Bank |
Charge 3 Special Edition Charge 4 Ionic Sense Versa Special Edition Versa 2 Versa 3 |
| Garmin Pay | Absa Discovery Bank FNB Investec Nedbank RMB Private Bank Standard Bank |
Vivoactive 3 Vivoactive 3 Music Vivoactive 4s Vivoactive 4 Vivomove Style Vivomove Luxe Venu Legacy Saga Series Legacy Hero Series Approach S62 Forerunner 645 Forerunner 645 Music Forerunner 945 Fenix 5S Plus Fenix 5 Plus Fenix 5X Plus Fenix 6S/6 Fenix 6 Pro Series Fenix 6X Pro Solar Fenix 6 Sapphire Series MARQ Athlete MARQ Aviator MARQ Captain MARQ Adventurer MARQ Driver MARQ Commander |
| Samsung Pay | Absa Discovery Bank FNB Investec Nedbank Standard Bank RMB Private Bank Virgin Money |
Galaxy S21 series Galaxy Fold and Z Fold2 Galaxy Z FlipGalaxy Note 20 series Galaxy S20 series Galaxy Note 10 series (including Lite)Galaxy Note 9 Galaxy S9+ and S9 Galaxy Note 8 Galaxy S8+ and S8 Galaxy S7 Edge and S7 Galaxy A9 Galaxy A80 Galaxy A8 Galaxy A72 Galaxy A71 Galaxy A70 Galaxy A7 (2017) Galaxy A52 LTE and A52 5G Galaxy A51 Galaxy A5 (2017) Galaxy A32 LTE and A32 5G Galaxy A31 Galaxy A30s Galaxy Watch 3 Galaxy Watch Galaxy Watch Active Galaxy Watch Active2 Galaxy Gear S3 Galaxy Gear Sport |
Other payment apps and features
It is important to distinguish these services from other Tap to Pay and Scan to Pay apps provided by banks and other providers which are typically software and not hardware-based.
Absa, FNB, Nedbank, Standard Bank, and others offer various of their own Tap to Pay features within their banking apps.
Scan to Pay, meanwhile, lets users point their cameras at a QR code to complete payment.
This is supported natively in a number of banking apps as well as by third-party apps like Snapscan and Zapper.
Huawei Pay also uses Scan to Pay rather than Tap To Pay and requires a merchant to support Zapper
