Best betting sites in South Africa 2024

Overview

Choosing a bookmaker that offers you everything you want could be a tough task. However, choosing which one offers you everything and is also legally permitted to conduct business in South Africa could be an even more challenging task. This is because there are a lot of bookmakers out there operating in different regions, and it may cause confusion for you when selecting the exact one that will cater to your needs lawfully.  

In our South African betting sites test, we make it a point to take a close look at every bookmaker operating legally in the region. After going live with our findings, we constantly update and complete our reports so that YOU, as our readers, can always have the most recent updates at your fingertips.

In the course of checking out all the bookmakers in South Africa, the first thing we examine is the legal situation of each bookmaker. There is no use staking your bets at an unlicenced and illegitimate bookmaker, as you may not be able to access payouts even if your bets win. Then we proceed to the wagering offer, the bonuses, the options for mobile betting, the fees, and the options for deposits and withdrawals. 

Without further delay, we will delve straight into the full legal information on South Africa. In this process, we will take a moment to check out a brief history/facts about South Africa. We will also take a quick-check of early gambling in the country. 

History/Facts Of South Africa 

South Africa was first inhabited by the Dutch. This happened in Table Bay (Cape Town) in 1652 when the Dutch East India Company was created to supply passing ships with fresh farm produce. Then, the British seized the Cape in 1795 to prevent it from falling into French hands. They briefly relinquished it back to the Dutch in 1803 before conquering it again in 1806. 

Six countries share borders with South Africa, with one of them an enclave (Lesotho). The bordering countries are Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland. South Africa is a diverse nation with numerous ethnic groups. The largest ethnic group as of 2022 estimates were Black South Africans, with about  81.4% of the entire population. 

Furthermore, 7.3% of the population are White South Africans, 8.2% are Coloured South Africans, and 2.7% are Indian South Africans. South Africa has a large land mass area of 1,214,470 square kilometres and a population of over 60 million people as of 2024, making them the sixth most populous country in Africa. 

Early South African Gambling

Generally, gambling has been part of the human race since time immemorial. Humans have been gambling for centuries, and it is the same for the inhabitants of early South Africa. With a current population of more than 60 million people, gambling has risen to higher levels, thus getting the sophisticated regulations it now has. 

In South Africa, all forms of gambling except horse racing were illegal until 1995 when the government decided to legalise and regulate the other forms of gambling based on a 1994 gambling report known as the “Wiehahn Commission” report. This gave birth to the National Gambling Act of 1996, which established the National Gambling Board for the purpose of licencing and regulation. The Act was later repealed in 2004 by the National Gambling Act of 2004, which now provides full regulation for all gambling-related activities.

The South African Gambling Laws

As we already know at this stage of our South Africa landing page, gambling activities were a thing for the early inhabitants of the country. Although there was a ban on all gambling activities except horse racing until 1996, South Africa has enjoyed concise legislation on gambling for more than two decades. 

The earliest form of gambling legislation in South Africa is the National Gambling Act of 1996. This legislation lifted the ban on other forms of gambling, including casino gaming, and established the National Gambling Board for the purpose of licencing and regulations. In 2004, the National Gambling Act of 2004 was formulated, and it legalised and reformed all betting activities, including online sports betting. 

Since then, residents have legally been able to play and enjoy casino games and sports betting. Note that any bookmaker that wishes to offer its services to South African punters must first acquire a licence from the relevant authorities. This brings us to the National Gambling Board. This regulatory body must be mentioned whenever the legality of sports betting in South Africa is discussed.

The National Gambling Board (NGB) is the biggest gambling regulatory body in South Africa. The regulatory body was borne out of the passing of the National Gambling Act of 1996. This regulatory body is in charge of monitoring all gambling activity within South Africa and ensuring that all gambling service providers are working according to the law. The National Gambling Board also makes sure that adequate punishment is dished out to any gambling organisation that fails to adhere to the gambling laws of South Africa. Listed below are the full functions of the National Gambling Board (NGB). 

• The NGB issues and evaluates national licences to prospective and existing betting platforms in South Africa. 
• The National Gambling Board sets standards, guidelines, and rules to regulate and control betting, horse racing, and all forms of gaming. They also evaluate and monitor the compliance of licencees. This is done through constant supervision and inspection of all betting and gaming activities of bookmakers. 
• The NGB also conducts supervision over the activities and performance of provincial licensing authorities. This is to ensure that the regulations and standards established by the Act are applied uniformly and consistently throughout the country. 
• The NGB sets rules to protect all members of the country against all forms of fraud and unlicensed gambling activities. 
• The National Gambling Board investigates the circumstances of all gambling activity that relates to any unlawful winnings. This includes delivering winnings to the rightful winner or declaring winnings to be forfeited to the State.

To summarise, all the functions and lines of action of the National Gambling Board of South Africa (NGB) are targeted at controlling the gambling environment in the whole country. The National Gambling Board's activities and actions help the government to keep an eye on the security of South African punters and also receive all appropriate taxes from the relevant companies. 

At the time of this publication, the physical location of the National Gambling Board is at 1085 Francis Baard Street, Pretoria, Hatfield, 0028. Their postal address is Private Bag x27, Hatfield, 0028. You can contact them directly on direct switchboard phone number 010 003-3475 or Fax 2 e-mail number 0866185729. You can also contact them via email address info@ngb.org.za. You can also reach them via social media. If you have any complaints related to fraud and corruption, contact them at fraudalert@ngb.org.za. 

Apart from the National Gambling Board, there are different provincial gambling regulatory bodies in South Africa. These include the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB), the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator (MER), and the Gauteng Gambling Board (GGB). While these regulatory bodies are quite capable of issuing licences to prospective bookmakers in South Africa, their activities are supervised and managed by the National Gambling Board to ensure compliance and uniformity. 

South Africa is the sixth largest country in Africa based on population size, with over 60 million people in the country as of 2024. According to statistics, South Africa has one of the most internet-penetrated economies in Africa. As of 2022, South African residents spent a staggering average of about 9.5 hours online per day. In 2020, about 70% of South African residents had internet access. In 2023, the country boasted a figure of about 43.48 million internet users, resulting in an impressive internet penetration rate of 72.3%.  

According to a 2022 statistic, South African ISPs (Internet service providers) generated a total telecommunications revenue of about R200 billion. Many factors influence the massive growth of South Africa's gambling industry. Some of these are the huge percentage of internet penetration and improving internet connection speed. 

The South African gambling industry growth has a direct influence on the amount of bets placed by South African residents. In 2023, sports betting accounted for more than fifty percent of the South African total gambling revenue, amounting to around R23.75 billion. 

Bookmakers In South Africa 

Sports betting is one of the most popular forms of gambling in South Africa. Others are horse racing and casino gaming. The South African gambling laws are quite straightforward and complete. We have already discussed the laws in the early stages of this article. However, this section will go over a summary of the gambling laws in South Africa. 

(i) Alongside Kenya, South Africa has one of the most sophisticated gambling regulations in Africa. The South African gambling laws date as far back as 1996, which is over two decades. The gambling laws in South Africa were put in place by the National Gambling Act of 1996, which signalled the beginning of the highest gambling regulatory body in South Africa, the National Gambling Board (NGB).

(ii) In South Africa, the majority of gambling activities are legal. You are free to gamble legitimately in South Africa with licenced bookmakers without the worry of going against the law. The NGB (National Gambling Board) is the highest gambling regulatory body in South Africa. The NGB also serves as an oversight for gambling activities in the country. There are provincial regulation bodies in the country. Apart from the NGB, the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB), Mpumalanga Economic Regulator (MER) and the Gauteng Gambling Board (GGB), can issue licences. However, they are all regulated by the NGB. 

(iii) Like the majority of countries in the world, the legal gambling age in South Africa is eighteen years. If you are of the legal gambling age, you are free to gamble legitimately without breaking the law. However, anyone who takes part in underage gambling (whether as a betting site or player), the punishments range from mild to severe. This could be a small or heavy fine, and it could also lead to prison time. Do note that at Betting Tips Africa, we do not promote unlawful or underage betting. 

(iv) In South Africa, taxes are not generally imposed on punters who only bet occasionally or for recreational purposes as they are not taxable under capital gains tax. However, for professional gamblers, there is a tax rate expected of them on their winnings. 

(v) Large brands among global bookmakers such as Betway, and 1xBet, operate in South Africa.

As mentioned above, South Africa has a highly refined legislative framework for gaming. A study in 2017 indicated that the country has the largest gambling market in Africa behind Nigeria and followed by Kenya. Compared to other African countries, South Africa excels with a clear legal framework that applies not only to land-based gambling. It covers online gambling like online sports betting, too. 

The South African government of the time permitted gambling and thus sports betting in the mid-1990s. The number of betting sites in South Africa that have a valid licence from the stakeholders of the National Gambling Board (NGB) is comparatively low at about 30. The majority of them operate with a licence from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB). As also mentioned previously, the authorities of the provinces, for example the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator (MER) and the Gauteng Gambling Board (GGB), can issue licences.

The country does not only follow a legal approach, but also a highly regulated one. On one side, you can access several legal online betting sites. But on the other hand, illegal betting activities result mostly in strict penalties. This is because the South African authorities are meticulous in their compliance with regulations. 

After all, the country is a prime example of sports enthusiasm. It is no coincidence that the first World Cup finals in Africa took place here in 2010. Fifteen years earlier, in 1995, the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup in front of their home crowd, and they still rank among the best teams on the globe. The Cape Town Cycle Tour also enjoys particular fame. More precisely, we mean the world’s most important cycling race with individual timekeeping. Besides, football, like in many other African nations, counts as one of the most appreciated sports. 

South Africa as we have said is one of the many countries that allows lawful sports betting in the region. The country has the second biggest betting industry in Africa behind Nigeria, and is a target for some of the biggest Sportsbooks in the world. In South Africa, local bookmakers are available with a handful of them having large market shares. As it is in other regions of the globe, bookmakers compete amongst themselves for users through different methods. This could be via the offering of favourable betting markets, big odds, multiple features, loyalty programmes and bonuses/promotions. 

Generally, the promise and appearance of bigger odds directly influence punters' decisions to pick a bookmaker. This is the same in South Africa, as every punter dreams of maxing out a huge payout, which directly translates to the odds. You would have come across bookmakers odds one way or the other. They are the numbers displayed in front of matches and events. 

They could be in the form of decimals, fractions or positive/negative, like 1.5, 1/100, or -100. Odds reflect the views of the bookmaker on the probability of an event occurring. In other words, odds show whether the bookmaker thinks an event will happen or not.

In South Africa and the most part of Africa, the larger percentage of bookmakers use the decimal odds as they are more popular. As a gamer, if your aim is to win a huge payout, make sure you take your time to learn about the odds and how they work. And there is no better place to learn about them than on our site. 

Betting Sites With The Best Odds In South Africa 

Sports betting has the nice characteristic that the odds can be easily compared. And this means that we can quickly find out what odds the bookmakers offer for the same events. Together with the stake, the odds are one of the factors that influence the amount of potential winnings. Therefore, our experienced testers scrutinise this aspect and only betting sites with consistently fair odds score well.

In all our bookmaker reviews (including those in South Africa), we provide an overview and deeper look into the odds margin offered by every bookmaker. This can be boldly seen in the quick facts section (Betting Offer And Odds) of our reviews. With our ratings in this section, you can easily get an idea of the odds situation at every bookmaker. 

If you wish to check more on the state of every odds the bookmakers offer, you can easily do this through the odds margin, which is also called the "Vigorish" or "Vig". The lower they are, the more profitable the odds are for you. For prematch bets, the margin should be around 5%. However, for live bets, you must expect significantly higher one 

Do note that the Vigorish is not static at any bookmaker, even South African ones. This number changes often across different sports, games, events, time and many other variables. So, BTA encourages you, our reader, to check out the odds margin before staking any bet.  

As with many other things in daily life, sports betting is predominantly done via the internet. Therefore, an adequate online presence is the be-all and end-all of a good bookmaker. And the characteristics listed below should definitely be given by any bookmaker that has a good rating on Betting Tips Africa:

• From the point of view of both experienced users and newcomers, a user-friendly and thus intuitive website design is essential. This means that all main content needs to be clear and concise. Any punter who visits the site must be able to comprehend what it is all about at first glance. A good design is one of the first factors that attract gamers to a platform. 
• In the areas of live betting, loading, and processing must be quick. There must also be a smooth access to livestreams or comparable functions at a highly rated betting platform. 
• All users whether newbie or veteran must find the registration process smooth and easy to complete. There is almost zero joy in spending a long time before getting your accounts registered and ready to play. All verification and other forms of validation must not take too long to confirm.
• All requirements to get registered on a betting platform must be transparent. We have a zero tolerance to shady prompts or agreements on the end of the user. Every requirement must be clear and concise so that users can understand perfectly what they are getting into.
• To the most important part of this section. The app and website of any bookmaker in South Africa must be secured with industry-standard systems to protect every user against all forms of fraud and theft. Does it speak well if your funds or user information falls into the hands of cybercriminals? This is certainly a bad thing to experience, so we do not rate bookmakers that does not do everything to make sure customers are safe from thefts. In the same vein, we urge all newbie or veteran bettors to protect their passwords, and information from anyone to ensure that their money is safe. 

Currently, the trend is that more and more bettors place their bets using smartphones or tablets. And with that, adequate solutions for mobile wagering are essential from every bookmaker. We rank highly most of all sports betting sites that provide great apps as well as the desktop versions. The apps should exist for Android, iOS, and Windows. And they should feature push notifications. 

In South Africa, we all know that most transactions are effected using debit and credit cards, bank transfers (including ETFs) and electronic wallets. It goes without saying that this must also work for any betting site that ranks on Betting Tips Africa. The bookmakers should therefore accept the following payment options: 

• Mastercard and VISA credit cards, including VISA’s virtual option Entropay
• Bank transfers as well as ETFs
• Cardless methods like Ozow, SiD and numerous vouchers
• Electronic wallets like Neteller, Skrill as well as PayPal

However, we also consider the fact that the transfers must be processed as quickly as possible. And this applies both to transactions on the betting account and to withdrawals. Too long waiting times inevitably impact on the overall rating of any bookmaker.

It is also essential to us that transactions made by the user within the borders of South Africa are exempt from fees. Bookmakers have to pay tax on turnover, but this should not affect customers. At Betting Tips Africa, we do not rate bookmakers that charge separately for transactions. On the other hand, we rate highly those platforms that make transactions free from their end. We believe that any payment fee incurred by users during transactions should purely be from the payment method they select.  

Let us face it: with all betting sites, the first thing that attracts user's attention is the variety of mouthwatering bonuses every bookmaker promises. However, you should always keep in mind that tempting offers are not always good and you need to look deeply to find which bonus works for you. And that is precisely why at Betting Tips Africa, our experienced testers focus intensively on this topic. We look at the promotions for new customers as well as those for existing customers. In doing so, we concentrate especially on these points:

• Does using a bonus represent a child’s play or a challenge? 
• Which are the terms that the respective bookmaker has thought up? 
• What are the turnover requirements and the maximum amount? 
• For how long can you use the bonus?

Also, with betting sites, you find out a lot solely by reading the small print. Of course, this is tedious, but we save you the hassle. And we tell you whether an offer is profitable or not. At the same time, we describe the terms and conditions in detail so that you finally know how it works with every bookmaker.

So far, we have covered the basic requirements for every bookmaker to be rated highly on Betting Tips Africa. To get higher ratings, betting sites need to go the extra mile by adding new features to their services. Interested users can then use these extras to set themselves up for higher winnings or increased fun. These features could be:

• Cashout on selected bets. 
• A bet configurator to arrange the desired wagers. 
• A VIP programme to reward and keep loyal customers coming to the platform.  
• Live betting to offer bet-on-the-go gaming. 
• Casino gaming  

As mentioned, we particularly reward wagering sites that perform particularly well on these aspects higher ratings. 

The Best South African Betting Sites

At Betting Tips Africa, we only publish trustworthy reviews of betting sites to help you understand fully what you are getting into. Moreover, we guarantee that we only include bookmakers that are legally permitted to operate within the South African borders. Furthermore, our qualified testers act as objectively as possible. Furthermore, we offer fact-based tips, betting strategy and news about the market. You can visit these pages via the Soccervista, Betting Strategy, and News pages.