Apple Pay launches in South Africa

Tech news 30 March 2021

Apple Pay is a digital mobile payment platform created by tech giant Apple and it is now available in South Africa.

The company itself has not made any official launch announcement but many South African's have taken to social media stating that they are able to add their cards to Apple's Wallet app.

Bank customers from Discovery Bank, Absa and Nedbank were the ones that have so far been able to add their cards to the platform.

Apple Pay allows users to load a supported banking card and use their Apple device – such as an iPhone or cellular Apple Watch – to make a contactless payment at supported NFC-based terminals.

To add a card to ‌Apple Pay‌, customers should open the Wallet app, tap the plus button, and follow the on-screen instructions. It's important to note that banks must first add support for ‌Apple Pay‌. Attempting to add an unsupported bank card will result in a pop-up reading, "Your issuer does not yet offer support for this card."

In the time of the pandemic, the launch of Apple Pay is crucial because it is a contactless form of payment.

All customers have to do is hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal to make a contactless payment.

Apple Pay is available on most iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, as well as Macs, so you can make easy and secure contactless payments using any compatible Apple device.

When using the platform, one also doesn't have to worry about any security concerns as every Apple Pay purchase is authenticated with Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode, as well as a one-time unique dynamic security code for extra measure.

Written by: Gabriella Steyn.

Guzzle Media