Dublin, Feb. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The “South Africa Prepaid Card and Digital Wallet Market Intelligence and Future Growth Dynamics Databook – Q1 2026 Update” report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com’s offering.
The South Africa prepaid card and digital wallet market is expected to grow by 14.7% on annual basis to reach US$13.53 billion in 2026.
The prepaid card and digital wallet market in the country has experienced robust growth during 2021-2025, achieving a CAGR of 16.8%. This upward trajectory is expected to continue, with the market forecast to grow at a CAGR of 11.9% during 2026-2030. By the end of 2030, the prepaid card and digital wallet market is projected to expand from its 2025 value of USD 11.80 billion to approximately USD 21.22 billion.
This report provides a detailed data-centric analysis of the prepaid card and digital wallet industry in South Africa, covering market opportunities and analysis across a range of prepaid card and digital wallet domains. With over 80+ KPIs at the country level, this report provides a comprehensive understanding of prepaid card and digital wallet market dynamics, market size and forecast, and market share statistics.
Overview of Prepaid Cards and Digital Wallet Market
Prepaid Card Market Analysis
- Metrics Assessed: The study examines the prepaid card market through various lenses, including transaction value, transaction volume, average transaction value, load value, and the total number of cards in circulation.
- Card Types: A distinction is made between open-loop and closed-loop prepaid cards, providing insights into their respective market shares and growth trajectories.
- Usage Categories: The report segments the prepaid card market into various categories such as general-purpose cards, business and administrative expense cards, travel forex cards, and meal cards.
- Business Segmentation: Further segmentation is provided based on business size and type, including small-scale businesses, mid-tier businesses, enterprise-level businesses, government entities, and retail consumers.
- Sector-Specific Applications: The analysis extends to specific sectors utilizing prepaid cards, including transit and toll payments, healthcare and wellness services, social security and other government benefit programs, fuel purchases, utilities, and more.
Digital Wallet Market Insights
- Key Segments: The digital wallet market is dissected across five primary spending categories: retail shopping, travel, entertainment and gaming, dining establishments, and recharge and bill payments.
- Performance Metrics: For each segment, the report evaluates transaction value, transaction volume, and average transaction value, offering a granular view of consumer spending behaviors.
- Retail Spend Breakdown: An in-depth analysis is provided for retail spending via digital wallets, covering categories such as food and grocery, health and beauty products, apparel and footwear, books, music and video, consumer electronics, pharmacy and wellness, gas stations, restaurants and bars, toys, kids and baby products, services, and other miscellaneous categories.
Virtual Prepaid Card Market Segmentation
- Categories Analyzed: The virtual prepaid card market is segmented into key categories, including general-purpose cards, gift cards, entertainment and gaming cards, teen and campus cards, business and administrative expense cards, payroll cards, meal cards, travel forex cards, transit and toll cards, social security and other government benefit program cards, fuel cards, utilities, and other miscellaneous categories.
- Performance Evaluation: For each category, the report assesses transaction value, providing insights into the adoption and usage patterns of virtual prepaid cards across different consumer segments.
Consumer Usage Trends
- Age Groups: Identifying usage patterns across different age demographics.
- Income Levels: Analyzing how income brackets influence prepaid card adoption and usage.
- Gender: Examining differences in usage trends between genders.
Key Attributes
| Report Attribute | Details |
| No. of Pages | 159 |
| Forecast Period | 2026 – 2030 |
| Estimated Market Value (USD) in 2026 | $13.53 Billion |
| Forecasted Market Value (USD) by 2030 | $21.22 Billion |
| Compound Annual Growth Rate | 11.9% |
| Regions Covered | South Africa |
Report Scope
South Africa Prepaid Payment Instrument Market Size and Forecast
- Transaction Value Trend Analysis
- Transaction Volume Trend Analysis
- Average Value per Transaction
- Market Share Analysis by Prepaid Card vs. Digital Wallet
South Africa Digital Wallet Market Size and Forecast
- Transaction Value Trend Analysis
- Transaction Volume Trend Analysis
- Average Value per Transaction
- Market Share Analysis by Key Segments
South Africa Digital Wallet Market Size and Forecast by Key Segments
- Retail Shopping (Value, Volume, Avg. Value)
- Travel (Value, Volume, Avg. Value)
- Restaurant (Value, Volume, Avg. Value)
- Entertainment and Gaming (Value, Volume, Avg. Value)
- Recharge and Bill Payment (Value, Volume, Avg. Value)
South Africa Digital Wallet Retail Spend Dynamics
- Food and Grocery – Transaction Value
- Health and Beauty Products – Transaction Value
- Apparel and Foot Wear – Transaction Value
- Books, Music and Video – Transaction Value
- Consumer Electronics – Transaction Value
- Pharmacy and Wellness – Transaction Value
- Gas Stations – Transaction Value
- Restaurants & Bars – Transaction Value
- Toys, Kids, and Baby Products – Transaction Value
- Services – Transaction Value
- Others – Transaction Value
South Africa Prepaid Card Industry Market Attractiveness
- Load Value Trend Analysis
- Transaction Value Trend Analysis
- Transaction Volume Trend Analysis
- Average Value per Transaction
- Number of Cards
- Market Share Analysis by Functional Attributes – Open Loop vs. Closed Loop
- Market Share Analysis by Prepaid Card Categories
South Africa Open Loop Prepaid Card Future Growth Dynamics
- Transaction Value Trend Analysis
- Transaction Volume Trend Analysis
- Average Value per Transaction
- Number of Cards
South Africa Closed Loop Prepaid Card Future Growth Dynamics
- Transaction Value Trend Analysis
- Transaction Volume Trend Analysis
- Average Value per Transaction
- Number of Cards
South Africa Prepaid Card Consumer Usage Trends
- By Age Group
- By Income Group
- By Gender
South Africa Prepaid Card Retail Spend Dynamics
- Food and Grocery – Transaction Value
- Health and Beauty Products – Transaction Value
- Apparel and Foot Wear – Transaction Value
- Books, Music and Video – Transaction Value
- Consumer Electronics – Transaction Value
- Pharmacy and Wellness – Transaction Value
- Gas Stations – Transaction Value
- Restaurants & Bars – Transaction Value
- Toys, Kids, and Baby Products – Transaction Value
- Services – Transaction Value
- Others – Transaction Value
South Africa General Purpose Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast
South Africa Gift Card Market Size and Forecast
Gift Card Market Size and Forecast by Functional Attribute
- By Open Loop Gift Card
- By Closed Loop Gift Card
Gift Card Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Segments
- By Retail Consumer Segment
- By Corporate Consumer Segment
Gift Card Market Share Analysis by Retail Categories
- Gift Card Market Share Analysis by Gifting Occasion
- Gift Card Market Share Analysis by Purchase Location
South Africa Entertainment and Gaming Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast
South Africa Teen and Campus Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast
Teen and Campus Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast by Functional Attribute
- By Open Loop Teen and Campus Prepaid Card
- By Closed Loop Teen and Campus Prepaid Card
South Africa Business and Administrative Expense Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast
Business and Administrative Expense Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Segments
- By Small Scale Business Segment
- By Mid-Tier Business Segment
- By Enterprise Business Segment
- By Government Segment
South Africa Payroll Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast
Payroll Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Segments
- By Small Scale Business Segment
- By Mid-Tier Business Segment
- By Enterprise Business Segment
- By Government Segment
South Africa Meal Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast
Meal Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Segments
- By Small Scale Business Segment
- By Mid-Tier Business Segment
- By Enterprise Business Segment
- By Government Segment
South Africa Travel Forex Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast
Travel Forex Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast by Consumer Segments
- By Retail
- By Small Scale Business Segment
- By Mid-Tier Business Segment
- By Enterprise Business Segment
- By Government Segment
South Africa Transit and Tolls Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast
South Africa Social Security and Other Government Benefit Programs Prepaid Card Market Size and Forecast
South Africa Fuel Prepaid Cards Market Size and Forecast
South Africa Utilities, and Other Prepaid Cards Market Size and Forecast
South Africa Virtual Prepaid Card Industry Market Attractiveness
- Transaction Value Trend Analysis
- Transaction Volume Trend Analysis
- Average Value per Transaction
- Market Share Analysis by Key Virtual Prepaid Card Categories
South Africa Virtual Prepaid Card Market Size by Key Categories
- General Purpose Prepaid Card – Transaction Value
- Gift Card – Transaction Value
- Entertainment and Gaming Prepaid Card – Transaction Value
- Teen and Campus Prepaid Card – Transaction Value
- Business and Administrative Expense Prepaid Card – Transaction Value
- Payroll Prepaid Card – Transaction Value
- Meal Prepaid Card – Transaction Value
- Travel Forex Prepaid Card – Transaction Value
- Transit and Tolls Prepaid Card – Transaction Value
- Social Security and Other Government Benefit Programs Prepaid Card – Transaction Value
- Fuel Prepaid Cards – Transaction Value
- Utilities, and Other Prepaid Cards – Transaction Value
For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/e8gi37
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- South African Prepaid Card and Digital Wallet Market
