For South Africans with access to banking facilities and credit cards, cash is practically obsolete. Most transactions, except for really small purchases, can be done using a cheque or credit card.

A large number of South Africans – some 10.2 million people – have never had a bank account, and are not able to benefit from this, however. A number of initiatives by government and banking institutions have attempted to address this market, many of which focus on mobile solutions.