Best betting sites in South Africa for 2024
SOUTH AFRICA has a growing gambling industry, especially when it comes to sports betting.
With the country full of sports fanatics and bold cultures, it’s no surprise that online gambling has been popular since it was legalised in 2004. We thus embarked on a journey to find the best online betting sites in South Africa. We also discuss the most popular sports in ZA and how to register for these top sites.
Top 3 betting sites in South Africa
We start by listing South Africa’s top gambling sites. Any of these platforms are worth checking out if you’re interested in placing a bet before you braai and watching the game.
The legal side of sports betting online in South Africa
South Africans have a long and turbulent gambling history. In 1965, the government passed the South African Gambling Act, which illegalised all forms of gambling except on-track horse racing betting. This act didn’t stop South Africans from betting; it just created an illegal and unregulated gambling market.
However, the government then implemented the National Gambling Act in 1996. This act legalised most forms of casino gambling and lotteries, but sports betting remained illegal except for horse racing.
The change many sports fanatics in the country were waiting for came in 2004. The updated National Gambling Act finally legalised sportsbook sites, and betting companies could enter the market with licensed online platforms.
How to evaluate betting sites South Africa has to offer
While many trusted bookmakers became available in the country after the government legalised sports betting, it doesn’t mean all of them are reliable. As such, we explain how we evaluate the best gambling South Africa sites.
Legality & safety
South Africa has nine provincial licensing authorities. One of these authorities must licence a betting site for it to be trusted. Holding one of the provincial licences will allow the sportsbook to operate in all provinces. We also check the other safety features, such as whether the betting site uses SSL encryption and has a co.za domain.
Ease of use
We check whether the operators and bookmakers offer sport betting apps and how user-friendly these sites are. The navigation buttons between different pages should be recognisable. South Africa is experiencing a surge in online gambling thanks to its convenience and accessibility.
Promotions
When we evaluate a sportsbook, we always check the promotions. Bettors love bonuses, as it’s a way to boost their bankroll. As such, we look into the various no-deposit and deposit bonus options available. We see whether the bonus terms are reasonable and what South Africans receive in exchange for depositing.
Mobile betting
We touched on this above, but sports betting apps are one way to ensure a user-friendly experience. Even without apps, mobile betting sites are becoming the future of online betting. We test the mobile betting features of the top sites to see whether they offer an equal experience to the desktop platform.
Sports market variety
Talking to a South African, you’ll soon find most have either soccer, rugby, or cricket on their mind. However, that doesn’t mean other sports, like boxing, basketball, golf, swimming, and tennis, aren’t popular. This can even include ones that might be slightly less popular, like handball, field hockey, and table tennis.
Payment options
The more methods a site has available, the more likely you are to find something you like to use. We expect the common ones like Visa, Mastercard, and Capitec Pay to be available, but we also look for other options. These include Ozow, OTT Voucher, Zapper, SnapScan, and Blu Voucher.
Customer support
The final aspect we check is customer support. We examine and test how responsive the customer support team is and when they’re available. We prefer a sports betting site to offer live chat, support email, and phone lines. The live chat should be multilingual, especially as South Africa has 11 national languages.
The best betting sites and bonuses in South Africa – an overview
Below, we present a quick view of our top three choices in the country and how their promotions compare to others.
| Online bookmaker | Welcome offer | Acca deals | Price boosts | Cashback bonuses |
| Supabets | R50 Free Bet and 250% bonus of up to R5,500 over the first three deposits | Up to 125% Multi-bet bonus | N/A | 10% Weekly cashback |
| Fafabet | 100% to 150% first deposit free bet of up to R5,000 | Place five soccer multiples; if one loses get your stake back as a free bet | N/A | VIP weekly cashback between 1% and 5% / Weekly losses back between 5% and 30% |
| 10bet | Free sports bet of 50% of up to R500, 10 free spins and 100% casino bonus | Multi-bet payback of up to R200 up to 20 times/week | Multi-bet booster of up to 100% | 10% Weekly cashback |
Sports to bet on ZA betting sites
It might seem like most South Africans only have one sport on their minds: rugby. However, many would be surprised to learn, even those of us living in the same country, that soccer/football is the country’s most popular sport. Still, bettors have a wide range of sports they’re interested in, with the following being the most popular:
- Soccer/Football
- Rugby
- Cricket
- Motorsports
- Boxing
- Tennis
- Basketball
- Athletics
- Golf
- MMA
- Swimming
- Cycling
- Gymnastics
- Volleyball
- Baseball
- Netball
A closer look at the top South African betting platforms
We know these sites are trustworthy, but if you want to know why, we’ve taken a closer look at our top three choices and state why they’re our favourites to bet on.
1. Supabets
- Founding date: 2008
- Payment methods: Visa, standard bank instant pay, FNB e-wallet, bank transfer
- Casino: Yes
- Customer support: 24/7 Live Chat, Email, Phone, Call-Back
If you like no-deposit offers, then Supabet is the sportsbook for you. New players can start with an R50 free bet and receive a stacked welcome offer on their first three deposits.
This sportsbook has a dark background with red highlights and offers over 1,300 sports betting markets. It stands out among its peers with its bonuses. It’s one of our top choices for South African bettors.
| Pros | Cons |
| No-deposit free bet of R50 | Limited payment methods |
| 10% Weekly Cashback | Offers only a few responsible gambling tools |
| Call-back support option with live chat and email | |
| User-friendly website with betting guides |
2. Fafabet
- Founding date: 2022
- Payment methods: Visa, Mastercard, Masterpass, Blu Approved, OTT, Ozow, SnapScan, 1Voucher
- Casino: Yes
- Customer support: 24/7 Live Chat, Email, WhatsApp, Phone, Mail
If you like mobile betting, then Fafabet ensures you’re covered with its Fafabet app. We found that you can download it directly from the website, but it only supported Android at the time of writing. However, we learned that the iOS version will become available.
The Fafabet Blog gives new players many tips and guides; you can even contact the support via WhatsApp. However, while it won’t lose to other brands in the betting opportunities it provides, it does have a more limited selection of bonuses.
| Pros | Cons |
| WhatsApp support option | R100 minimum withdrawal with some methods |
| Provides SnapScan as a payment method | Limited promotions |
| Over 1 million sports betting monthly opportunities | |
| After-hours phone line support |
3. 10bet
- Founding date: 2003
- Payment methods: 1Voucher, Capitec Pay, OTT, Ozow, Visa, Mastercard, Masterpass, American Express, EFT Secure, EasyPay, Blu Voucher, Zapper
- Casino: Yes
- Customer support: 24/7 Email, Live Chat, Phone
If you like VIP programs, then 10bet is ready to knock your socks off with its loyalty program. Players accumulate points as they wager on games, which they can use in the marketplace. Some available rewards are free bets, free spins, tech, and travel, though what you have available depends on your VIP tier.
The site is very user-friendly and is a well-known brand in ZA due to being around for over 10 years.
| Pros | Cons |
| Excellent VIP program | No sports-specific welcome package |
| Multiple promotions and special offers | Can only claim tech/travel rewards at highest VIP tier |
| Many popular payment methods, like Zapper | |
| 24/7 support channels like live chat |
How to sign up and claim a welcome offer with a South African bookmaker
We investigated how you can sign up at a top ZA bookmaker. The good news is that it’s straightforward, and you can do it by following these steps:
- Click the “Join Now/Register!/Sign Up” button.
- Complete the required personal information.
- Verify your account using your SA ID or passport number.
- If needed, verify your mobile number.
- Create a password and add your email.
How to place your first bet on a ZA betting site
Placing your first bet might seem daunting, but we provide a step-by-step guide to help get you started.
- Check the welcome bonus terms
- Make your first deposit
- Browse the available sports betting selections
- Click on the match you want to bet on
- Choose your betting market and betting odds
- Confirm how much you want to bet
- Accept the bet slip
Payment methods available at South African betting sites
While the rest of the world has payment methods like Neteller and Skrill available at sportsbooks, South Africa focuses more on local payment methods. Options like SnapScan and Zapper are popular, but Visa and Mastercard are often available. Below, we check the top methods for depositing and withdrawing on these sites.
Deposit
We reviewed the various deposit methods available to South Africans and found the below ones to be the most popular:
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Ozow
- OTT
- SiD
- Vouchers
- Blu
- SnapScan
- Zapper
- iPay
- EasyEFT
Withdrawal
While there are generally fewer withdrawal methods available when collecting your winnings, South African bettors can still use the below options most of the time:
- OTT
- EasyEFT
- Bank Transfers
- Visa
- Mastercard
- Zapper
- SnapScan
Can I bet on mobile with ZA bookmakers?
We know bettors love mobile access to sportsbooks, as it allows you to place a wager on games easily no matter where you are. Luckily, ZA bookmakers generally have excellent sport betting apps or mobile websites. Live betting and pre-match wagers are possible on mobile, as long as you have an internet connection. In our experience, most mobile websites won’t lose out in any way to the desktop site.
FAQs about the best betting sites in South Africa
While you now know more about South Africa’s best online betting sites, you might still have some questions. That’s why we’re here with the FAQs to answer the additional common questions we’ve heard South African bettors asking.
1. Is it better to use a South African or an international betting site?
The National Gambling Board states that South Africans cannot gamble with an international betting site from within the republic, so using a South African sportsbook is better.
2. What is the best welcome offer among ZA betting sites?
Supabets offers the best welcome offer for bettors among our top choices, as it contains an R50 free bet and a stacked welcome offer.
3. Do South African bookies offer live streaming?
Yes, live betting has become more exciting thanks to the HD live-streaming services some ZA bookies will offer, but it’s not always available.
4. Are there no-deposit free bets at South African bookies?
Yes, Supabets offers an R50 no-deposit free bet for new bettors, but not all sportsbooks will have one.
5. Why is live betting so popular?
Live betting allows South Africans to place wagers on games in progress, which in turn can offer better, more exciting odds and opportunities than normal betting.
6. Are betting winnings taxed in ZA?
Normal bet winnings aren’t taxable as income, though you should declare it to SARS in the non-taxable income. However, professional bettors who do this as their “job” will have the average tax subjected to winnings.
7. How to recognise a legal South African betting site
You can recognise a legal South African betting website by looking for the following things:
- One of the nine provincial licences
- A domain name ending in co.za
- Partnerships with national South African sports teams
Final roundup on betting sites in South Africa
We identified the best online bookmakers in South Africa, offering thousands of betting opportunities and excellent service. Bettors can wager on their preferred games and enjoy 24/7 customer support. Deposit with one of the popular payment methods like Zapper, Visa, or SnapScan and claim your welcome bonus. Look at our top bookie choices and start wagering on your favourite team.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
- GambleAlert – gamblealert.org
- Gamble Aware – www.begambleaware.org
Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.
For help with a gambling problem, call the GambleAlert Helpline on +234 9162957989.