Report: Consumer preferences South Africa - Online gaming

Research shows that the vast majority of those who participate in online gaming or place bets do so regularly, with 86% playing at least once a month.

Like so many other parts of the economy, gaming and sports betting in South Africa are being transformed by the growing adoption of online platforms - which saw a large surge during the pandemic. Some forecasts indicate that the online sports betting market will be worth $350.5 million by 2028, with 3.6 million users.

We wanted to understand how South Africans view gaming and sports betting, what they look for when choosing a platform and how they prefer to make deposits or withdraw funds. We surveyed more than 300 respondents to provide an up-to-date perspective on the online gaming market in South Africa.

Download our report to view our findings below.

South African gamers bet often, and usually in small amounts

Our research found that South Africans who participate in online gaming typically do so on a regular basis, with a sizable proportion indicating that they play every day. However, when asked about how much they spend on betting or gaming, it amounts on average to well below 10% of their income, indicating many are making high volume, lower value deposits, with a lower number of high-value whale participants.

Control is key

South Africans are comfortable taking a chance with their money, but they want to know they are still in control outside of the outcome of their bet.

This is demonstrated by the importance they place on withdrawals and deposits. By far, the most important factor indicated when selecting an online casino or gaming platform is the speed and efficiency of withdrawals. They want to know they can get their money off the platform easily whenever they decide to do so.

Consumers want a range of payment options

Vouchers remain the most popular payment method for gaming and sports betting, but South Africans are showing significant interest in using other options. This is demonstrated by the preferred payment options indicated for deposits, where Pay by bank and Capitec Pay are quickly catching up with vouchers due to the speed and convenience they offer. 

Platforms that offer fewer choices in payment methods may find themselves losing out to competitors that can better meet the changing demands of this customer base.

Explore more findings

What online gaming platforms do South Africans prefer and why? What are the keys to an appealing customer experience? And where do cash and crypto fit into the payments picture for gaming?

Read our full report for more.