Best betting sites in South Africa

TOP betting sites in South Africa

The South African sports betting industry is one of the biggest in Africa and as a result of this, there are dozens of betting sites opening their doors to SA bettors.

But the bitter truth is that not all of these bookies are good enough for you and if you decide to start reviewing each of them on your own, you’ll waste a lot of time and energy, especially if you don’t know what to look out for.

Lucky for you, you have us! Our team of sports betting experts has reviewed several betting sites in South Africa based on various factors, such as the quality of promotions, variety of markets, profitability of odds, and user experience. We’ve settled on the top ones and will share them with you today.

List of All Best Betting Sites in South Africa

1xbet Review

1xbet is a popular brand in the online sports betting scene. Since its debut in 2007, it has gone on to become a household name in the industry and is currently one of the leading betting sites in South Africa. New players are welcomed with a 200% first deposit bonus up to 3000 ZAR.

Aside from the lucrative welcome bonus, 1xbet offers highly competitive odds and diverse markets on a wide range of sports, including major ones like soccer, cricket, rugby, and horse racing. Bettors on the platform can also complete deposits and make withdrawals using a host of banking options such as Mastercard, Visa, Binance Pay, and several crypto tokens.

10bet Review

10bet is another reputable name in the South African online sports betting scene. One reason for its continued dominance in the industry is the super-friendly user interface that makes it easy for bettors to navigate between pages and place any sports bet of their choice. These bettors also get to claim a 100% match bonus up to 3000 ZAR on their initial deposits and subsequent offers like boosted odds, cashbacks, and loyalty rewards.

Furthermore, 10bet is renowned for its diverse payment solutions and supports popular SA methods like EFT, OZOW, Capitec Pay, and OTT Voucher.

Pinnacle Review

Pinnacle is currently celebrating its 25th year in the industry and in that time, it has captured the hearts of millions of sports bettors across the world and South Africa. This is mainly due to the high number of sports betting options available on the site. You can bet on all the popular sports as well as lesser mainstream ones like Handball and Aussie Rules.

The sportsbook also offers betting markets for over 30 esports leagues, including Age of Empires, Call of Duty, League of Legends, and Counter Striker 2. If you’re in the mood for some unorthodox bets, Pinnacle has a unique section where you can wager on the outcome of political events like Presidential or parliamentary elections.

For payments, Pinnacle supports both fiat and crypto transactions, with banking options ranging from credit cards to crypto tokens and ewallets like MuchBetter and Paysafecard.

Megapari Review

New players at MegaPari start off with a 100% match bonus up to 2025 ZAR on their first deposit. There’s also another 100% deposit bonus up to 1981 ZAR that’s available every Saturday for fans of soccer betting who deposit at least 100 ZAR. This is an addition to the weekly sports cashback and special accumulator bet promo.

MegaPari is an international sportsbook with multiple major awards. The platform understands the needs of South African bettors. It has made its site very easy to use, and there are even special tabs on the main menu for popular sports like cricket and esports. You also get to enjoy 30+ more sports, and this is one of the active betting sites in South Africa where you can experience elite horse racing betting.

1Win Review

South African bettors looking to experience a world-class betting experience should definitely have 1Win at the top of their list. A quick browse through the website will leave you marveled at the number of sports betting and casino options available. Despite this, the platform is still simple, with visible menus and highly responsive pages.

You can bet on 30+ sports, and to get you started, the site is offering a 500% match bonus up to 9200 ZAR when you fund your account for the first time. Even better, you can watch live broadcasts of major football and tennis competitions right on the website. If you’re a fan of on-the-go betting, 1Win has dedicated mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Windows devices.

1Win is also a crypto casino, but it allows bettors to fund their accounts and make withdrawals using fiat methods like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa, Mastercard, Skrill, Interac, and Discover.

Betwinner Review

Upon registering a new Betwinner account, bettors are awarded a 100% first deposit bonus up to 1979 ZAR, which they can use to place bets on any of the 50+ sports betting options the sportsbook lists. In addition to markets on the major sports and esports, bettors have access to odds on political events as well as TV shows like the winner of Britain’s Got Talent or characters that will appear in the second season of The Peacemaker.

There’s also a casino section and a game lobby filled with popular slots and table games from the world’s biggest providers and famous crash games like Aviator and JetX. Betwinner supports 40+ payment methods, including e-vouchers, EFT transfers, bank cards, and a host of crypto tokens. The bookmaker also offers one-click registration, so it takes only a few seconds to set up your account and start playing.

Melbet Review

Melbet is not as common as other bookmakers in South Africa, but after a thorough review of the platform, we found it to be one of the best in terms of betting features, promotions, and the general experience. For starters, the sportsbook awards a 100% bonus up to 1841 ZAR for creating a new account which you can do in seconds thanks to the one-click registration process. Then there’s a 100% refund on multi-bets when one selection goes sideways and other multi-bet promos.

Melbet is also a crypto bookmaker and supports 10 other fiat options. You can experience true mobile gaming by visiting the mobile site or downloading the apps that are available for all operating systems.

Sportingbet Review

Sportingbet is a popular bookmaker, that operates with a license from the Western Cape Gambling & Racing Board. The site is one of the best sports bettors in South Africa because of modern betting features like a bet builder and auto cash out. This is in addition to the 500% multi-bet boost promo and the 100% cash back you enjoy when one pick ruins your multi-bet.

As a local operator, Sportingbet supports popular SA payment methods like EFT, OZOW, Zapper, Visa, and Mastercard. Deposits and withdrawals are completed instantly, and should you encounter any issue, 24/7 is always on standby, either through live chat or the unique Whatsapp number. We also can’t forget the wide range of sports betting options available for bettors, including horse racing, and the fact that you can experience all these on dedicated mobile applications.

Betway Review

Betway is one of the biggest and most popular betting sites in South Africa. It’s also one of the top betting sites with a welcome bonus. With a license from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, Betway offers a 100% extra bet bonus up to 1000 ZAR for its new players and a special offer for horse racing fans where they don’t have to pay taxes on their winnings.

The sportsbook is also home to 30+ sports and allows punters to experience premium outright, pre-match, live betting on multiple football, tennis, cricket, rugby, and basketball events. There’s even a unique tab for esports lovers, and if you prefer the lottery, Betway Lucky Numbers gives you access to dozens of major lotteries from around the world.

This bookie supports MasterCard, Visa, iPay, SiD, OTT Voucher, and EFT payment options. Betway mobile apps are also available on the Google Play Store, Apple App Store, and Huawei Store.

Fafabet Review

Fafabet is a locally-owned betting platform and one that’s very popular among South African sports bettors. The site features a simple blue and white, which makes it easy to navigate, and there’s also a dedicated app for Andriod users only. Visiting the sports section will give you access to thousands of markets across different sports and competitions. Even the casino section is stacked with slots, table games, and live offerings from trusted providers like Pragmatic Play and Spribe.

Fafabet first deposit offer is a 150% match bonus up to 5000 ZAR, with bettors also getting to experience daily freebets and weekend bonanzas. Deposits and withdrawals are made possible through popular payment solutions such as BluVoucher, SnapScan, Visa, Mastercard, OZOW, 1Voucher, and OTT Voucher.

The Legal Aspect of Sports Betting in South Africa

When it comes to placing online sports bets, whether at local or international betting sites, it’s always best to do so at bookmakers with a fully credible license. Active betting sites in South Africa typically obtain their license from the National Gambling Board (NGB), the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board, and the Mpumalanga Economic Regulator.

Some platforms with licenses from these commissions include Fafabet, Betway, 10bet, and Sportingbet. Our other recommended bookmakers are also licensed but by international regulators like the Curacao eGaming Board.

Whichever bookmaker you choose to go with, you can rest assured that they have undergone rigorous checks to ensure fairness, ability to pay, and general security of players’ details. In case you need further information about a bookmaker’s license or require some help as regards responsible gambling, this table contains all the details you need.

How does our team of experts review online betting in South Africa?

Before we display a bookmaker on our site, we make sure to review it thoroughly. We have high standards and know that South Africans do too, and that’s why we consider several factors before making a decision. Want to know how we do it? Here’s a walk through our review process of all betting sites in South Africa.

License and Reputation

We begin our review by evaluating the reputation and trustworthiness of the bookmaker. We don’t want players placing bets at platforms they don’t feel safe at, so we make sure to check for valid licenses, and updated security features. Our team of experts only reviews legit betting sites in South Africa.

We listed some of the major local and international regulators earlier in this guide, but we don’t just stop there, it’s also essential that the sportsbook adhere to FICA regulations.

User Interface and Mobile Compatibility

After confirming that the sportsbook is safe, we take a few moments to browse its platform. We recommend sites with user-friendly interfaces that allow bettors to easily locate and place wagers on their preferred markets. The platform should feature clear menus, a simple theme, and fast-loading pages for a generally seamless and enjoyable experience.

This should also translate to mobile as South Africans have recently become super interested in betting on the go. Most of our recommended bookmakers offer modern iOS and Android mobile apps, and for those without apps, you can surely enjoy your betting on a well-designed mobile site.

Odds and Markets

When all is said and done, the main aim of your coming to a sportsbook is to wager on odds and get returns. South Africans have a passion for various sports, so it's important that a bookmaker offers all-round competitive odds. In addition to the quality of odds across different sports and competitions, the betting markets should be diverse enough to allow punters to properly express themselves.

The standard moneyline, total goals, handicap, and double chance bets are nice, but the bookmaker should offer an opportunity for players to enjoy outright markets before the start of events, special player and team props like bookings, time of first try, and last team to score. Punters should also be allowed to place wagers on live events with features like early payout, enhanced odds, and cashout to help them.

Promotional Offers

Some don’t consider bonuses and promotions a crucial factor when recommending casinos, but we do because you can never tell when you’ll need an offer that’ll replenish your budget and get you back on track. The first promo we check is the welcome bonus, which you’re sure to find in almost all betting sites in South Africa.

But that’s just for the new players, we also browse through the Promotions Page in search of offers for regular bettors. Popular betting sites mostly offer rewards like weekly cashbacks, free bets, and loyalty programs.

Deposit and Withdrawal Methods

Being able to complete quick payments and withdrawals is an essential aspect of online sports betting and one we don’t take lightly. Fortunately, South Africa has many online payment options, which you’ll also find at top betting sites in the country, including the platforms listed here.

From standard EFT deposit methods to debit cards, vouchers, and e-wallets, you’re sure to find something suitable and easy for you.

How to choose a betting site in South Africa?

Picking a betting site for your online sports betting is a decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly, given that you’ll most likely be spending your time and money there. You need to make sure that everything is in place, and in order to achieve that, there are some factors you must consider.

To streamline the process and make things easy for you, we’ve created a table highlighting the key elements you should focus on when choosing the best sports betting sites South Africa.

Betting Sites in South Africa With Welcome Bonus

A welcome bonus is the first reward you receive for registering at an online bookmaker. Welcome offers are commonly offered by South African bookmakers in the form of a first deposit match bonus, where players are awarded a percentage of their initial deposits as free bets.

We’ve researched and found the best betting sites with free registration bonus in South Africa, here’s all you need to know.

Best Soccer betting sites in South Africa

While not as popular as rugby and cricket, soccer is still one of the most watched sports in South Africa and a common pastime for millions around the country. Whether it’s supporting the Bafana Bafana in their quest for international glory or backing their favorite European teams or players in the South African Premier Division, you can’t deny South Africa’s passion for football.

When there’s passion, there should be reward, and the only way to properly get rewarded is to play at sportsbooks that respect soccer fans. We made a list of the top soccer betting sites in South Africa.

• 1xbet
• 10bet
• Pinnacle
• Megapari
• Betwinner

Best horse racing betting sites in South Africa

Horse racing betting is another popular pastime in South Africa. The country is one of the few in Africa where the sport has a solid following and even hosts major races like the Durban July, the Cape Derby, and the SA Classic. Fans of the sport also follow and bet on popular international horse races like the Kentucky Derby, Dubai World Cup, Melbourne Cup, and the Epsom Derby.

The best betting sites in South Africa even broadcast some of these events and allow players to watch them for free, while others offer special promotions like the Tax Scratch, where you get full returns on your successful horse race wagers; the bookmaker handles the tax. Here are other top South Africa betting sites with amazing opportunities for horse racing enthusiasts.

• Sportingbet
• Betway
• 1Win
• Melbet
• Fafabet

What Payment methods are available on South African betting sites

EFT

This is the most popular payment option for online sports bettors at betting sites in South Africa. EFT stands for Electronic Funds Transfer and allows you to move money electronically from your bank account to your betting wallet.

A standard EFT transaction can take up to 72 hours, but when combined with services like OZOW, SiD, EasyEFT, and Instant EFT, payments can be completed and confirmed within minutes.

Debit/Credit Card

This is the leading online payment method in the country, and the top card providers are Mastercard, Visa, and American Express. Players prefer cards because of their security and ease of use but it’s worth noting that most providers will charge you for online betting transactions. Cards also have higher betting limits than many other payment options.

Prepaid Vouchers

If you seek to fund your betting account without sharing your banking details with betting sites in South Africa, prepaid vouchers might be for you. You simply have to purchase a voucher, usually 1Voucher and OTT Voucher, from selected physical or online stores and then enter the voucher pin on the bookmaker to confirm the deposit. The only drawback to this payment option is that the max transaction limits are usually low.

Zapper

Zapper is one of the leading e-wallets in South Africa, with over 30 million users. The platform offers swift, secure transactions with zero fees.

Verdict about the best betting sites in South Africa

Sports betting is only as fun as the bookmaker you place the bet on. After reviewing the best betting sites in South Africa, we can confidently recommend them to you as they meet all our criteria for an elite betting experience.

These sites have proven to be reliable and trustworthy and offer a wide range of sports markets, odds, and promotions to cater to different preferences. We’ll be sure to keep you updated about the top betting sites in the country.