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

Family Business to National Player: Anton Gillis on SA’s Hospitality Future

Platinum Hospitality Holdings is set to announce Anton Gillis as its new CEO — marking a major succession moment for one of SA’s leading family‑built hotel groups. Anton shares what the group is seeing on the ground across its national portfolio, where hospitality demand is growing, how operators are navigating…
27 Jul 1PM 15 min

SA Consumers Under Pressure: Retail Signals & MPC Reality

South Africa’s consumer is flashing warning signs — and two retail updates have sharpened the picture. Cashbuild’s weak building materials demand and Mr Price’s shift toward value purchases reveal households under severe pressure. Market analyst The Finance Ghost unpacks how sticky inflation, high interest rates and the MPC’s cautious stance…
27 Jul 12PM 12 min

Why Women’s Financial Empowerment Is an Economic Multiplier

Women’s financial empowerment has the potential to drive economic growth, strengthen households and create lasting generational wealth. Kaya Biz speaks to Alexandra Nortier, Joint Head of Wealth Management at Investec Wealth & Investment International, about why Investec is backing the JSE SheInvests 2026 initiative, the barriers keeping women out of…
23 Jul 1PM 7 min

Affordable Diabetes Care Arrives in SA with Novo Nordisk

Novo Nordisk South Africa GM Sara Norcross explains the launch of the country’s only authorised copy of semaglutide, manufactured using the identical API, process and device as the originator — but at a more affordable price. We unpack what an authorised copy is, why SAHPRA registration matters, how the Acino…
23 Jul 1PM 14 min

SARB holds rates steady in July MPC – What It Means for You

Momentum economist Tshiamo Masike unpacks the SARB’s decision to pause, the upside inflation surprise, and the global factors driving the MPC’s decision. We explore how rising oil prices, geopolitical tensions, and weakening consumer confidence shaped the call — and what households, businesses and markets should expect next. A sharp, data‑driven…
23 Jul 1PM 14 min