INSIDE YOUR POCKET: South African Reserve Bank releases the Payments Study Report

Loading player...
GUEST – Tim Masela - National Payments System Department Head

The South African Reserve Bank (SARB), which operates, regulates and oversees the national payment system (NPS), has today published its inaugural Payments Study Report (study). The study, the first of its kind in South Africa, uses individuals’ payment data and provides extensive insight into how the public perceives and uses various payment methods and instruments on offer in the country.


The SARB’s multi-year strategy and framework for payments, Vision 2025, identified the need for the SARB to gather information on the use of the NPS and help deliver on its goal of transparency and public accountability. This information can be used by the central bank, other regulators, policy makers and payment service providers to better understand consumer behaviour as well as potential opportunities and risks in the payments landscape. The information contained in the study can also assist in the design and implementation of more convenient, efficient and safer payment instruments and methods for South African consumers and businesses.



The study, commissioned in 2023, supplements the payments information that the SARB already has access to through the domestic settlement system (the South African Multiple Option Settlement (SAMOS) system), retail payment systems and returns gathered from payment service providers such as banks and non-banks.
6 Sep 2024 8AM English South Africa Business News · Investing

Other recent episodes

SA Homeowner growth steady, report finds

Hayley Ivins-Downes from Lightstone Property shares data about home-buying activity in South Africa, which paints an interesting picture about affordability and which specific parts of the country are seeing the most development.
27 Mar 5AM 11 min

INSIDE YOUR POCKET – South Africa’s consumer credit market steady

Data from TransUnion shows that South African credit usage has shown tentative recovery to a more broad-based recovery, with first-time buyers now accounting for just over half of financed purchases. Ayeshaa Hatea, from TransUnion South Africa, explains these findings and more.
27 Mar 5AM 11 min

Pivot Point - Building Africa’s Vaccine Sovereignty

Today on Pivot Point, we spotlight a leader whose work sits at the intersection of science, industrialization, and national security. Dr. Morena Makhoana, the CEO of Biovac, has spent two decades shaping South Africa’s vaccine manufacturing landscape and unpacks that journey.
27 Mar 5AM 25 min

Africa’s Trade Links Strengthen; Future Geopolitical Risks Loom

Data from Standard Bank signalled significant growth in intra-African trade in the past year, showing positive moment towards the continent achieving a successful AfCFTA. However, that picture could be complicated by recent tensions in the Middle East. For more on this let’s listen in to, Philip Myburgh, Head: Trade for…
25 Mar 4PM 12 min